BX 

9211 

.P6 

M32 

1873 


BX  9211  .P6  M32  1873 
MacDonald,  James  M.  1812- 

1876. 
Some  reminiscences  of  a 

twenty  years  V  ministry  in 


Ml  4^: 

ropy 


/ i) 


v>oii|e   l\eiinniv^cei)cevS 


Twenty  Years'  Ministry 


FlUNCETON,  N.  J. 


I\isl<tv  of  l/it  First  Preslnjicriaii  Cliinrh. 


PRINCETON : 

Pini.lSllKll     HV    McGlXXKSS    iV     RlNYAX. 

is7;j. 


i 


SOME  REMINISCENCES 


Twenty  Years'  Ministry 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


By    fTanic^s    lS,L.   ]S£acdoiialcl, 

J'lisfdj'  dj'  fhc  First  I'rishjitcriaii  ('hiirrh. 


PHINCETON: 

I'ritl.ISIlKII     liV    M(fIlNM-;SS    iV     IilNVAX. 

is;:;. 


.lAMKS   M.    MACDON'AI.I).    DD..     TASTOi;    of   tiik  Imiist   J'i;i:siiVTK!:iAN 
('miuH   or  l*Ki.\(  KTox.    N.   .1.  : 

I'er.  and  hair  Sir.  —  At  a  iiH'cliii'j:  of  tlio  Congrc^jiitioii  wliosi'  )iri\il(',Ln' 
ii  was  to  listen  to  voiir  liistoriral  (liscoursc.  (l(;livere(l  on  Lord's  I)a\ .  Now 
2d,  it  was  iinaninioiisly  l!vs<ilrc<J.  Thai  voii  lie  r('([iic.stcd  to  rnrnlsli  a  copv  foe 
jpiiljliciitioti.  and  the  iiiidiMsi^^iicd  wen'  a|>poiiif(Ml  a  coininit  tcr  to  present 
tliat  re(jiiest  ;  and  we  lie.n'  leave  to  add,  that  your  eoinj)lianc('  with  the  SHino 
would  lie  a  sonrc(>  of  special  !j.ratififati(in  to  oni-sehes  personally,  as  well  a.v 
to  those  whom  we  repre.sent. 

\\  itli  .senliaients  of  .sincere  rcsjieet  and  regard. 
^Otirs,  very  ti-uly. 

STEPHEN  AEEXANDEIi. 
(tEO.   T.  OLMSTED. 
PI  EN  RY  V.   CAMEIJON. 
Prineetou.  Xo\.  •"),  IS?:!. 


To    STEPHEN    ALEXANDER,    LL.D.,    GEO.    T.     OLMSTED,     Es..j., 
Puof.    HENItV  C.   CAMEPtON.  Ph.D.: 

(t'enikmoi,  and  Chn'sfuui  lirelliien. — It  is   with  pleasure  T  furnish  here- 
with a  copy  of  the  di.seourse  referred  to  in  your  note  of  tlie  third  instant. 

Grateful   for  the  attention    with   which  the  same  was  listened  to,  liy  the 
congregation,  and  for  their  further  iiit(M'est  in  the  request  for  its  peJilieation. 
permit  me  to  sul>sci-ilie  myself,  with  sinci're  regard,  Imth 
Yours,  and  Theirs. 

.1.   M.   MACDONALD. 
Princeton.  Nov.   17.  1-^7:'). 


S  0  M  i:     n  K  M  IMS  C  K  N  C  K  S 


TWENTY    YEARS'    MINISTRY 


Vou  liave  not  been  aecustoniC'd  to  liear  from  me  wliat 
are  called  minister's  Anniversarj-sermons,  .  On  one  occa- 
sion only — it  was  in  the  Summer  of  1862  — an  attempt  was 
made  to  sum  up,  and  i-eviow,  tlie  work  of  the  few  preceding 
years.  But,  no^v,  as  a  score  of  years  have  elapsed  since  I 
took  charge  of  this  pulpit,  it  would  seem  to  l)e  altogether 
[)ro|»er  to  take  some  notice  of  (ifod's  dealings  with  us,  and 
of  the  changes,  whether  for  l)Otter  or  worse,  which  liave 
occurred  in  tlie  congregation. 

I'^/r-^f    Visit  h)    I'rliicelo)). 

-My  tirst  visit  to  Princeton  was  made  in  the  year  1849, 
to  attend  the  inauguration  of  Dr.  James  W.  Alexander 
(with  whom  [  liad  1)een,  for  several  vears,  a  co-presbyter  in 
Xew  York)  as  Professor  of  Ecclesiastical  History  and  Chnrch 
Government,  in  the  Theological  Seminary.  I  had  the 
advantage  of  having,  as  a  companion,  another  c:o-presbyter, 
the  Rev.  John  (loldsmitli,  D.D.,  of  Newtown,  Long  Island, 
who  was  a  graduate  of  the  (\)llcge  in  1815,  in  the  same 
Class  with  Dr.  Ilodge,  and  was  matriculated  with  him  in 
tlie  same  Class  in  the  Semin;iry,  in  181G.  He  was  a  man  very 
devoted  to  Princeton  and  its  institutions,  and  abounded  witli 
recollections  of  them,  as  they  were,  when  he  resided  here, 
and  with  the  traditions  lie  had  received.     Tt  could  not  fail 


to  be  a  deeply  iiitei-esting  visit ;  but  1  went  away  as  I  came, 
a  stranger  to  the  people  of  the  place,  little  dreaming  that  it 
was  to  become  my  home,  for  so  many  yenrt^ ;  and  that  I  was 
to  sustain  so  important  a  relation  to  the  [)eople. 

P'lljnt    Varan/  bt    1852. 

This  pulpit  became  vacant  in  April,  1852,  by  the  resigna- 
tion of  the  Rev.  William  E  Schenck,  who  has  so  long  and 
ablv  filled  the  office  of  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Publica- 
tion of  the  I'resbyterian  Church.  During  the  vacancy  the 
pulpit  was  supplied  by  the  Rev.  Drs.  Hope  and  Moffat  and 
Luther  Ilaisey,  by  the  Rev.  Hugh  S.  Carpenter  of  Xew 
York,  now  of  California,  and  tlie  Rev.  William  R.  Weed,  of 
Stratford,  Conn. 

Mr.    Weal  Called. 

A  call  was  extended  to  Mr.  Weed,  July  26,  1852.  A 
posthumous  volume  of  this  gentleman's  sermons  attests  his 
great  power  as  a  preacher,  and  fully  justifies  the  deep 
impression  he  made  on  this  congregation.  In  the  great 
increase  of  sermon-literature  in  England  and  America,  dur- 
ing the  last  twenty  years  or  more,  demonstrating  that  the 
printed  sermon  has  been  redeemed  from  the  reproach  and 
neglect  into  which  it  had  fallen,  and  which  I  was  accustomed 
to  hear  freely  visited  upon  it,  in  the  earlier  years  of  ray 
ministry,!  can  truly  say,  of  all  the  sermons  that  have  fallen 
under  my  notice,  from  those  of  Archer  Butler,  and  F.  W. 
Robertson  to  those  of  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  and  even  Spur- 
geon,I  know  of  none  that  excel  the  sermons  of  Mr.  Weed, 
for  originality,  strength,  pathos,  and  unction.  In  Xorwalk, 
Conn.,  to  which  place  he  removed  in  1855,  and  took  charge 
of  the  First  Congregational  Church,  he  departed  this  life, 
December,  1860,  and  "  devout  men  carried  him  to  his  burial, 
and  made  great  lamentation  over  him."' 

J.   M.   Mardonald  Called. 

At  the  suggestion  of  the  late  Dr.  J.  W.  Alexa)ider,  who 
had  returned  to  the  pastorate  in  New  York,  and  with  whom 


7 

I  was  oiK-e  iiiorc  assiH-iatcd,  in  tlio  saiiio  Presln'tery,  I  was 
invited,  In-  tlie  Session  of  this  Churcli,to  snpply  the  pul))it, 
Marc-li  27th,  1853,  and  complied,  fn  the  foUowinf;-  niontl), 
April  25tli,  1853,  at  a  nif,'etini!;oftlie  congregation,  over  which 
Dr.  Matthew  B.  Hope,  i'rofessor  of  Khetoric  in  the  College, 
presided,  I  was  nnaninionsly  elected  pastor.  This  call  1  felt 
constrained,  "  after  careful  consideration,""  to  decline.  It 
was  I'cnewed,  houever,  in  August  following,  and  was  accept- 
ed in  SeptenilK^i'.  The  sahirv  promised  in  the  call  was  $1,- 
200  ;  which  was  iuci'cased  to  $1,500  before  the  year  expired. 
A  commodious  parsonage  has  since  been  provided,  and  the 
salary  further  increased. 

llcreind  and  in.'<(allal  by  ihc  Pi-cshi/frri/  nf 
AfT  Bnmsirick. 

I  was  received  from  the  i'l'esliytery  of  New  York  a  mem- 
her  of  tlie  Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick,  at  its  session  in 
Fi-cchold — then  within  its  Ixxmds — Oct.  4th,  1853  ;  and 
ari-angemcnts  uerc  made  for  my  installation.  I  arrived  in 
rrin<H"ton  with  my  family,  Oct.  Sth,  and  preached  the  follow- 
ing day,  in  the  moi'uing,  from  Mark  ix.  24,  •'  Lord,  I  believe; 
help  'I'hou  mine  unbelief:"'  and  in  the  evening,  from  Eecle- 
siastes  i.  18,  "For  in  much  wisdom  is  much  grief;  and  he 
that  increasetli  knowledge  inci'easeth  soi'i'ow  :  "  and  sup- 
])lied  the  [)uli)it  during  the  rest  of  that  month.  On  Tues- 
day, Nov.  1st,  I  was  installed  by  a  Committee  of  the  Pres- 
bytery of  New  Prunswick.  Rev.  Dr.  Hodge  presided,  and 
proposed  the  constitutional  ([uestions.  Rev.  Dr.  Davidson, 
then  Pastor  of  the  First  (Miurch,  New  Brunswick,  preached 
the  sermon.  Rev.  Dr.  James  C.  Watson,  then  Pastor  at 
Kingston,  gave  the  charge  to  the  minister  ;  and  the  late  Rev. 
Dr.  Syinnies  C  Henry  of  (Cranberry,  to  the  congresration. 
Of  the  forty-tive  ministers,  who  were  then  members  of  the 
Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick,  but  twelve  now  remain. 
Only  three,  who  were  l^astors  in  the  Presbytery,  at  that 
time,  remain    in   their   charges;    namely,  liev.   Ravaud   K. 


8 

Rodgers,  D.D.,  Kl-v.  .lolm   Hal],  D.D.,  and  Rev.    Abraham 
Gosmaii,  IJ.IX 

Officers  in  the  Church  ami  Confjrcj/adoii. 
Of  the  seven  members  vvlio  constitnted  the  Session,  at 
that  time,  and  signed  the  call  to  me,  b}-  direction  of  the 
Congregation,  Mr.  Ralph  Lane  was  so  aged  and  intirm, 
that  one  of  his  brethren  was  empowered,  by  the  Congrega- 
tion, to  sign  it  for  him.  He  deceased  Aug.  25t]i,  1854,  at 
the  great  age  of  92  years.  The  reputation  of  this  man  was 
widel}'  and  long  proverbial  in  the  community,  for  the  most 
exact  justice,  in  Ids  dealings  with  Ins  fcllowmen,  and  the 
strictest  uprightness.  Another  Elder,  Mr.  Ralpli  Guliclc, 
was  the  victim  of  consumption,  and  that  wasting  disease 
had  already  made  great  liavoc  in  his  constitution.  He 
departed  this  life,  in  the  bright  hope  of  a  better,  April  25th, 
1854. — Mr.  Isaac  Baker,  wln^  was  the  bearer  of  the  request 
for  me  to  preach  in  this  pulpit  at  my  tirst  introduction  to 
it,  and  who,  accordingly,  was  the  tirst  member  of  this  con- 
gregation with  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  of  forming  an 
acquaintance,  died  in  Brooklyn,  at  the  house  of  his  son-in- 
law^  Rev.  J.  T.  Duryea,  D.D.,  Sept.  22d,  1870.  Another, 
Mr.  Daniel  Bowne,  by  removal  to  Trenton,  and  consequent 
cliange  of  his  churcli  relations,  ceased  to  exercise  the  office 
of  Lay-Elder,  in  this  church.  The  three  othei's  of  the  seven, 
Jacob  Lane,  Ir'rof.  Steplien  Alexandei-,  LL.D.,  and  Jolin  F, 
Hageman,  Esq.,  remain.  From  time  to  time,  others  have 
been  added  to  their  number.  Dr.  George  M.  Maclean,  and 
Messrs.  J.Boyd  VanDoren,  Jno.  V.  Terhune,  Henry  E.  Hale, 
and  Joseph  B.  Wright,  who  lias  removed.  Mr.  David 
Comfort,  now  of  Virginia,  where  he  had  before  been 
ordained  to  the  office  of  Lay-Elder,  tilled  this  office,  during 
several  of  the  years  of  his  residence  liere,  very  faithfully  and 
acceptably. — The  Board  of  Trustees  of  this  congregation,  at 
the  time  I  assumed  the  pastorship,  consisted  of  Prof.  J.  S. 
Schanck,  LL.D.,  wdio  was  elected  July  30th,  1846,  and  has 
been  its   President    since  the  resignation  and  removal  of 


I'rol".  J()soi)li  IlniiT,  LL  1).,  July  'iotli,  1S48,  ami  of  .lames 
S.  (irei'ii,  Es(|.,  and  Messrs.  ,[anies  Vaiuleveiiter,  Isaac 
Baker,  (I.  T.  Olmsted,  and  J.  F.  Ilao-eman,  Esq.  The 
xaeanev  \vljieh  tiien  existed  in  the  Board  by  reason  of  the 
I'esigiiation  of  Mr.  William  Guliek,  was  sul)sefjnenrly  tilled 
by  the  election  of  the  late  Mr.  Kmley  Olden  ;  and  vacancies, 
since  ()ccasii)ned  by  death,  have  l)een  tilled  by  the  election 
of  J.  II.  Wikolf,  .\T.  I).,  and  Messrs.  Edward  "iTowe,  and  J. 
JM^'d  VanDoren.  The  late  Mr.  .lohn  II.  Clark,  of  Hamil- 
ton S(|iiare,  and  Mr.  Isaac  Stryker,  now  of  Newark,  were 
the  Deacons  in  the  earlier  years  of  my  ministry  liere.  The 
pi-esent  Board  consists  of  Mr.  G.  T.  Olmsted,  elected  Dec. 
rjth,  18()'>,  and  Messrs.  Philip  Hendrickson.  David  A.  Ilnd- 
nut  and  Ho^i^ert  Strykei-,  elected  Nov.  18th,  I860. 
(ItiAiigcs  in  the  ('nnfircijutiot). 
To  one  who  from  tlie  pul})it  surveys  the  congregation, 
the  clianges  are  very  marked.  This  of  course  would  be  the 
case,  if  there  Ijad  been  no  i-emovals,  and  death  had  spared 
ns.  Those  who  were  children  have  become  men  and 
women;  tliose  who  were  in  tiie  fresh  verdure  of  life,  are 
passing  into  its  sere  and  yellow  leaf.  Those  who  were  chil- 
dien  are,  some  of  them,  now,  at  the  liead  of  houseliolds, 
and  are  here  with  their  cluldrcn.  But,  there  liave  been 
constant  I'emovals,  and  death  has  not  spared  us.  Several 
of  the  inost  impoi'tant  families  have  entirely  disappeared 
from  the  congregation.  Of  the  family  of  Mr.  Emiey  Olden, 
as  it  was  constituted,  when  I  took  charge  of  this  congrega- 
tion, not  one  is  left.  They  were  devoted  in  theii-  attachment 
to  t!:is  churcdi,  and  its  pastor.  The  same  is  true  of  tlic 
family  of  Elder  Isaac  Baker, — not  a  single  reju'esentative  is 
left  in  this  congregation.  The  family  of  tlie  Kt'V.  President 
Carnal) an  lias  disappeared  from  the  midst  of  us.  We  look 
in  vain  for  any  one  to  re])i'escnt  that  of  dames  S.  Green, 
Estj.  Mr.  Green  was  a  son  of  Dr.  Ashbel  Green,  l*resident 
of  the  (^ollege,  and  was  identified  vvitli  the  congregation 
i'rom    his  \-outh.      He   was  the  Treasurer  of  the  Board   of 


lO 

Truatees  wlieii  I  caiiio  and  so  (.•oiitiiiiUMl,  till  liis  death,  and 
performed  the  duties  of  tliis  office,  with  u;reat  zeal  an/l 
fidelity.  ■  From  the  nature  of  his  office,  I  was  necessarily 
hronght  into  frequent  intercourse  with  liini,  and  was  ahvuA-s 
treated  with  consideration  and  kindness.  He  stood  aniont';' 
the  iirst  iit  the  Bar,  and  was  among  the  first  citizens  of  the 
State  of  Xew  Jersey.  Althougli  not  a  communicant,  ho 
had  for  years  a  Bible  Class  for  young  n)en,  whom  he  met, 
from  Sabbath  t<^  Sal>batii,  at  the  Church,  in  connei-tion  with 
the  Sabbath  School. 

Great  C/iatir/cs  i>i  the  World. 
In  the  w  orld  at  large,  during  these  years,  there  has  been 
a  series  of  the  most  important  cbanges,  to  which  indeed  we 
can  scarcely  pay  even  a  hurried  glance.  Silence  has  con- 
tinued to  widen  its  domain,  and  those  great  results  which 
steam  and  electricity  are  destined  to  accomplish  in  civiliza- 
tion, have  been  steadily  advancing.  AViiat  was  thought 
utterly  to  defy  the  skill  and  ]>erseverance  of  men,  the  uniting 
of  continents,  separated  by  wide  oceans,  by  tlie  magnetic 
lelegra{)ii,  has  been  effected.  Wars  have  continued  to  con- 
vulse the  world.  Ln  the  Crimea,  treasure  and  lives  were 
wasted,  without  any  apparent  nuiterial  advantage  to  the 
great  pov/ers  that  were  engaged  in  the  stiuggle,  except  i)er- 
liaps  to  perfect  them  in  military  skill  and  science.  Sevasta- 
pool,  Sedowa  and  Sedan,  have  become  historic  :  tlie  two 
last  named,  by  the  great  results  of  the  victories  associated 
with  their  names.  The  statesmanship  of  Cavour  has  done 
more  for  his  country,  than  could  have  been  accomplished 
by  mere  diplomacy  and  arms.  Mis  beloved  Italy  Ijas  been 
advanced  toward  the  front  rank  of  nations.  And  while 
Austria  has  failed  to  maintain  its  old  position,  a  Protestant 
power,  Pi'ussia,  has  assumed  the  very  first  rank.  Napoleon 
III.  has  met  with  downfall  and  death,  and  the  throne  of 
France  still  stands  empty.  Even  in  Spain,  there  waves  the 
Republican  flag.  The  Temporal  Power  of  the  Pope  has 
been  taken   from   hiiD,  pi'ol)ably  ncvei-  to  be   regained.      If 


1 1 


tlu'  iiKiji  i)f  I-CnrojK'  lias  uikIit^'oiic  mo  i:;i'oat  cliaiiiiH'.s  in  tlic 
lioiiiidaries  of  its  oM  j»oliti(,'al  divisions,  it  lias  iiink'ro'oiic 
the  most  far-rcacliiiiii-  cliaii^'c's,  as  it  rcsj.)OcLs  the  lialaiico  of 
[lowiT,  and  ill  tlu'  relative  imiiortanee  of  its  States.  Tliei-e 
has  been  a  marked  prou^i-ess  in  liliei'tv,  in  ititeliii^^enee,  in 
civilization,  and  in  all  tlial  most  essontiallv  helong's  to  the 
elo\'ation  and  welfare  of  the  race.  Seldom,  in  tlie  history 
<d'  the  world,  ha\'e  o-i-cjitci'  events  crowded  upon  one  anothei'. 
Not  only  ill  the  liistory  (d"  the  nations  of  Kni-ope  and 
Americ-a,  hut  in  those  of  Asia,  the  last  twenty  years  mark 
an  er;i,  which  will  stand  out,  with  great  i»roinineiU'e,  on  the 
page  of  liistory.  In  (Jliina,  moi-e  im[)ortant  (dianges  have 
been  wrought,  than  in  [terhaps  centuries  before.  And  in 
India,  especially  sin<'<-  the  Mutiny,  which  already,  us  we 
look  back  to  it,  with  its  stoiw  of  Ijueknov.-,  and  its  well  of 
Cawn}»ore,  seems  more  like  the  iiu'ention  of  the  imagina- 
tion, or  some  hoi-rid  dream,  than  au}'  thing  that  really  hap- 
pened, how  astonishing  has  been  the  progress  of  the  drospel  ! 
We  have  lived  to  heai-  the  Gospel  preached,  in  our  o'vii 
pulpits,  from  the  lips  of  a  Brahmin,  the  Rev.  N".  Sheshadri, 
with  all  the  discriminaticju  and  skill  of  one  of  our  own 
cxi>erienced  and  gifted  pastors.  The  first  half  of  this  een- 
tury,  a  century  coeval  with  the  great  Pi-otestanf  Missionai-y 
Enterprise,  was  devoted  to  the  woi-k  of  preparation  ;  since 
then,  the  woi-k  of  evangelization  has  been  making  rapid 
jirogress.  There  has  been,  at  the  same  time,  a  gi'eat  im*rease 
of  the  po\ver  of  spiritual  religion,  tlironghoat  (^hi'istian 
countries.  Tiiis  was  manifest  from  the  kite  rejiorts,  on  the 
state  of  I'eligion  in  various  parts  of  the  (Miristian  world,  to 
the  Evangelical  Alliance  :  as  foi-  example,  in  such  a  country 
as  (jermany,  the  delegates  from  which  were  not  only  among 
the  most  intelligent,  but  the  most  earnestly  pious,  at  the 
late  C^inlY'rence,  in  New  York.  And  wli^it  do  these  meet- 
ings of  evangelical  Christians,  of  various  denominations  and 
nationalities,  during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century,  betoken, 
but  a  great  increase  of  the  sj)irit  of  true  religion  ?    Thei-e  may 


12 

liave  been  a  developinont  of  ritua]i>^m  and  formality  in  soinr 
quarters,  but  in  the  cliurchcH  of  the  lieforination  at  lai's^e, 
the  change  has  been  vastly  for  the  better,  rather  than  for 
the  worse,  ^ever  has  tliere  been,  since  the  ascension  of 
(Mirist,  in  the  world  as  a  wliole,  a  more  [)rotnising  aspect 
of  affairs.  In  our  own  country,  the  wisdom  of  an  entire 
separation  oi'  church  and  state,  has  been  more  completely 
vindicated,  in  the  stronger  hold  wliich  religion  lias  been 
constantly  gaining  on  the  affections  and  i'esj)ect  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  successful  efforts  for  its  diffu.-.ion. 

In  our  own  Ijehn'ed  church,  there  has  been  no  want  of 
sympathy  and  concurrence  with  evangelical  C'hristians  at 
large,  but  a  similar  development  of  life  and  strength,  in  the 
part  she  has  taken,  by  lier  Boards  and  appointed  agencies, 
in  carr\-ing  forward  the  evangelization  of  the  world,  and 
the  great  work  given  us  to  do,  in  our  own  beloved  land. 
The  healing  of  the  division  in  the  church,  which  took  place 
a  generation  ago,  seems  to  be  thorough  and  effectual  ;  and 
the  reunion  of  tlie  churches  North  and  South,  sundered  by 
the  war,  sui-ely  can  only  be  a  question  of  tin)e.  Tiie  divi- 
sive sjiiiMt,  whicli  has  existed  in  former  years,  seems  to  be 
greatly  weakened  of  late,  and  other  Pi-esbyterian  Ixxlies, 
which  have  maintained  separate  existence,  on  })oints  alto- 
gether sulxjrdinate  and  unessential,  are  earnestly  looking 
towards  organic  union  with  the  irreat  body  of  Presbyterians. 
It  is  this  tendency  to  union  among  ('hristians,  that  have  no 
reason  for  separate  organizations,  and  to  fellowsliip,  coop-e- 
ration,  and  alliance  among  all  evangelical  believers,  which 
constitutes  one  of  tlie  most  interesting  and  hopeful  features 
of  these  recent  years.  But  this  glance  at  the  changes  whicli 
have  been  going  on  in  our  times,  the  influence  of  which 
has  been  necessarily  so  great  on  ourselves,  must  sulhce. 
We  must  narrow  our  vision. 

PopnJation  of  Princelon  and  Nuuihcr  of  Churelws. 

I  turn,  now,  to  [*rinceton  itself.  Its  growth  has  been 
very  gradual.      According  to  the  Census-reports,  since  1850, 


the  |i()])iiI;ition  lia.-^  iiici'cascd  less  lliau  1000.  Tii  IcSoO,  tlie 
total  popnlatioii  of  tlie  towiisliii)  was  8,021,  includiiii:;  '>52 
colored  peojde.  In  ISliO,  it  was  3,726,  with  B21  C()h)re(l. 
[ii  1S7<\  the  total  pojuilatioii  ot'the  entire  townshiji,  as  irivcn 
to  ine  hy  the  assistant  marshal,  was  4,000,  iiieliuliiig  oo-i 
eolored.  It  hai-(lly  seems  possible  that  the  colored  popula- 
tion of  Trinccton  was  less  in  1870,  than  in  1S(I0.  Instead 
ot'ha\'ini>-  diminished,  by  more  than  sixty,  one  would  say, 
tVom  mere  obsei'vation,  that  it  had  considerably  increased/-' 
The  i)o[)ulation  of  tliis  Ijoroii^h,  in  distinction  from  tlie 
townshi}),  as  furnished  me  by  the  C'ensus-tnarshal,  is  2,800. 
Oi"  the  3,44t)  whites  in  the  townshi}),  444  are  reported 
as  of  foreiirn  birth.  .Vs  most  of  these  are  Roman  (Catholics, 
they  furnish  a  basis  on  which  we  may  estimate,  proxi- 
mately, the  wliole  luunber  of  Roman  C-atholics  in  the  town- 
ship. The  number  of  Irish  and  German  Americans,  that 
is,  of  chihh'en  of  Ii"ish  and  Gernum  parents,  born  in  this 
country,  must  considerably  outnumber  the  foreign  born. 
P>ut  if  we  nuik<'  them  equal,  then  of  tliis  class  of  tlie  people 
wc  liavc  S88.  lieducing  this  nund»er  by  100,  as  sufficient 
to  co\'er  the  Protestants  among  them,  and  to  allow  for  any- 
possible  over-estimate  of  the  chihb'en  born  in  this  ce)untrv 
of  pai'ents  of  foreign  Itirth,  we  have  788,  which  comes 
strikingly  near  the  estimate  of  his  flock,  in  the  township), 
as  given  me  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Moran.  lie  states  that 
about  .")00  of  liis  people  live  within  the  linnts  of  the  Borough, 
and  he  tliinks  these  constitute  about  two-thii'ds  of  all  who 
live  in  the  townsiiiji,  making  about  750.  These  increased 
by  the  nund^ers  coming  from  Kingston,  Rocky  Hill,  Blawen- 
burg,  Lawrenceville,  &c.,  make  his  entire  Hock,  about  1,000. 
If  now  we  reduce  the  number,  as  given,  of  whites  in  the 
township,  3,446,  by  the  nund)er  of  Roman  Catholics,  750, 
and  also  by  the  number  of  College  Students,  who  are  here 
in   the  beginniuii;  of  .Jutie,  when   the  census  is   taken,  and 


■■'The  luiiiiber  of  coloreJ  vot(M-s  in  Priiifftoii.  said  to  be  alxmt  1-")<I.  e-alU 
for  ji  population  of  at  least  tJ.'jO. 


14 

acccMnling  to  law  aif  enumerated  liere,  say  350,  we  have  left 
about  2,850  as  represeutiiii;  tlie  iiunil)Oi"  of  the  white  Protest- 
ants. Dividing  this  equally  among  the  different  eongrega- 
tions,  the  two  Pi'eshytei'ian,  the  t^^'o  Bajitist  and  the  Metlio- 
dist  Episcopal,  tlie  Protestant  Episeo]ial  and  the  Fi-iends' 
Meeting,  it  affords,  all  told,  men.  women  and  children,  al)ont 
335  souls  to  each. 

The  colored  peo])le  are  divided  nearly  e(|ually  between 
the  African  Metliodist  and  the  Presbyterian  chni'ches, 
both  of  ttiem  having  comfortable  places  of  worsliip,  not  far 
apart,  in  Withei'spoon  Street  ;  and  both  have  stated  sui»]ilies 
or  i*astors.  For  the  entire  poi>ulation  of  the  to\vnsliip, 
4,000,  there  are  opc^n  on  every  Sabbath  morning  tu'idve 
places  of  worship:  which,  <livided  e([ually  among  them, 
would  allow  to  ea(di  a})ont  338.  Of  these  twelve  places, 
iive  are  Presbyterian,  foui'  of  tliem  furnishing  more 
sittings  than  thei-e  are  whiti'  I'rotestants  in  the  jtlace. 
It  hardly  needs  to  lie  suggested  that  this  seems  to  be 
carrying  the  multqilication  of  congregations,  and  separate 
services,  to  an  undue  extreme;  and  it  pi'ove-;  how  difticult 
is  the  task,  if  not  impossible,  which  is  laid  upon  }>astors,  if 
they  are  expected  to  till  their  churches,  and  keep  them  full. 
If  all  the  people  of  the  townsliij)  should  be  assembled,  men, 
women  and  children,  even  to  the  smallest  infants,  and  be 
divided  e({ually  among  t!ie  places  o[»en  for  worship,  only 
the  smallest  edifices,  like  the  Witherspoon  street  Churches, 
or  the  Soninary  Chapel  would  be  tilled  Or,  if  \vc  allow 
for  the  necessary  absence  of  aged  and  infirm  ones,  the  sick 
and  invalids,  infants  and  very  young  children,  say  one- 
(pnirter  of  the  whole,  the  smallest  edifices  \^■ould  be  ionnd 
too  large. 

Si'ci))i(/    (.'Jill  fell. 

AVhen  1  became  jiastoi-  liei'c  the  late  Pev.  W.  A.  Dod, 
P.i).,  was  in  charire  of  the  Second  Olmrch.  He  was  ;i  man 
of  genius  ami  culture,  especially  in  art  and  l)elle.s-lettres. 
Since  his  resignation,  the  Kev.  ])i-.  Mann,  a  brother  l)eloved, 


i.S 


iiiid  scrilu'  lu'ediiii;-  not  t*>  \)c  ashauKMl,  and  tlu-  licv. 
SiK'iicer  L.  KinncN- lias'o  siu-ccssivdy  filled  tlio  pasioi-al  office 
in  tliat  eoiiuTc^si'atioii.  it  has  coiisidcraldy  increased  in 
sirenulli,  diirino- the  pas!  few  years,  since  the  c()ni[)leti()n  of 
its  costl\'  and  s[)acious  house  i^i'  \voi's!ii|). 

This  chnrcd!  had  hecn  well  estahlished  wlien  I  came 
liere,  and,  durinu;  the  ])eiiod  now  under  i-eview,  has  made 
])r()j>'ress, — [iroiiTess  in  which  we  are  iiermitted  to  rejoice, 
for  it  is  the  progress  of  evangelical  religion.  Wo  notice 
witli  gratitude  the  increasing  honds  of  sympathy  hetweeii 
these  two  gi-eat  comniunions,  the  Metliodist  and  the  Pres- 
hvtei-ian.  Mv  relations  with  the  successive  ministers  of 
this  church  have  been  cordial  ;  and  for  several  of  them  I 
could  not  ])ut  conceive  the  highest  respect  and  atiection. 
Afv  recollections  of  one  of  them  are  most  sweet  and  tender. 
r  refer  to  the 

Her.    Gt'oy;/<'    W.    BatrJuhln-. 

lie  commenced  his  mini^tiw  here  ;  an<l  although  so^'-^ 
\oun<i\  at  once  comniauded  the  I'cspect  of  all  classes.  The 
(lospel  was  music  from  his  lips.  He  was  jieard  by  you,  from 
this  pulpit,  with  delighted  interest.  In  private,  there  was, 
if  possible,  sometiiing  even  more  fascinating  about  him. 
He  won  my  heart.  He  was  transferred  from  this  place  to 
the  capital  of  the  State,  and  one  of  the  finest  church-edifi- 
ces in  tliat  city,  and  of  tl)e  Methodist  connection,  witiiin 
the  bounds  of  tliis  State,  was  erected  for  him.  lUit  his 
health  soon  failed.  After  trying  in  vain  to  recover  it  in  the 
West,  lie  came  back  here  to  die.  1  recall,  with  tender 
interest,  tlie  interview  I  had  with  liim,  in  his  sick  chamber, — 
his  [)atience,  and  the  calmness  and  peace  with  whicli  he 
contemplated  his  ap[)i'oaching  end.  Tliere  was  a  funeral- 
service  here,  at  wdiich  Pres.  Maclean  and  myself  officiated, 
and  also  a't  the  State  Street  Churcli,  Trenton,  where  he  was 
buried.     Two  of  the  miinsters  q\'  tins  church  were  regularlv 


i6 

Miatrieulatedattlio  Colleo-c.and  n'-raduated  witli  their  resport- 
ive.  classes,  in  due  course,  the  Kev.  Dr.  Ilaiilon,  aiidtlie  Rev. 
Mr.  Lawrence,  and  are  nt»w  leading  and  influential  minis- 
ters, in  the  New  Jersey  Conference. 
Bapt'si  Clotrrl,. 
In  tlie  Baptist  Church,  the  minister  who  has  made  the 
strongest  impression,  in  this  communitv,  was  the  Rev.  Mi-. 
Ilntcliinson.  It  was  never  my  pi-iviiege  I  think  t<»  hear  liim 
preach,  hut  he  has  on  several  occasions  partici^iated  in  the 
devotional  services  in  this  chliiudi,  and  with  a  ferv(U'  and 
power  tliat  seemed  to  me  remarkahle.  It"  any  estimate  can 
l»e  formed  of  his  j>reacliing  from  his  [»rayers,  it  must  lie 
marked  hy  uncommon  spirituality  and  strength.  A  very 
competent  judge*  remarked  ii\  m)'  hearing,  that  this 
preachei'  I'cminded  liim  of  John  Duiiyan, — that  lie  seemed 
to  be  gifted  with  the  same  strong  and  homely  o'ood 
sense,  as  well  as  with,  a  knowledge  of  the  simple  word 
of  God,  and  to  he  guided  by  a  similar  ricli  spiritual  experi- 
ence. The  Baptist  congregation  has  oidy  recently  become 
two  bands.  That  this  division  may  soon  be  healed,  may  be 
devoutly  wislied,  as  before  it  took  place,  it  had  scarcely  the 
.strength  to  sustain  the  ministry. 

Protestant  Episcoptd  Church. 
Wlien  I  came  to  Princeton  the  Protestant  E[)ist'opal 
Churcii  had  a  most  excellent  minister,  the  Pev.  Mr.  l*etei'- 
kin,  who  prea(died  the  same  doctrines  of  grace  \\hit'li  are 
ju-eached  amongst  us,  differing  tVom  us  oidy  in  tlie  use  of 
the  appointed  Liturgy  of  that  Chur<di.  He  held  that  men  are 
lost  and  ruined  by  the  fall,  that  they  must  be  converted  bv 
the  Holy  Spii'it,  and  can  be  justified  by  the  righteousness  of 
Christ  imputed  to  us,  and  received  by  faith  alone.  lie 
returned  to  the  South,  and  l)ecame  the  minister  of  an  Episco- 
pal Church  in  Piclunond.  lie  was  succeeded  by  a  man  of 
•similar  spirit,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ilansoji.     Following   Mr.  Ilan- 

*llev.  .1.  H.  Mcllvair.e. 


17 

son,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Dod,  liaviiig  severed  his  connection  with 
tlic  Second,  hocaine  tlie  liector  of  this  church.  Since  tiic 
present  inciiinbont,  the  Rev.  Alfred  Baker,  took  charge,  the 
nhl  edifice,  in  wliicli  the  congregation  worshipped,  has  been 
(h'niolislicd,  and  a  new  and  more  costly  one  erected. 
liiiiii'Ui    Calliolic  C/mrch. 

As  Princeton  is  made  a  sort  of  ecclesiastical  centre  for 
the  surrounding  towns,  this  congregation,  when  the  weather 
is  favorable,  is  very  large.  Under  the  clergyman  who  has 
now  the  charge  of  it,  Kev.  Thomas  Moran,  a  most  import- 
ant reformation  has  been  Ijrouglit  about,  in  liie  matter  of 
tom}ierance.  Some  who  had  gone  very  far,  and  continued 
long,  in  liabits  of  excessive  drink,  a[»pear  to  be  thoroughly 
reclaimed.  He  is  gathering  the  boys  into  a  band  of  Tem- 
perance Cadets.  In  this  lie  deserves  and  receives  the  coiti- 
mendation  of  all  good  men. 

Ilic   Friends'  Meeting. 

Tiieir  Meeting  House,  situated  near  the  old  Quaker  road< 
wdiere  it  skirts  Stony  Brook,  is  still  attended,  regularly,  by 
representatives  of  several  of  the  original  settlers,  who  were 
composed  largely  of  Friends,  and  erected  the  first,  whicli 
long  remained  the  only,  place  of  •worship,  in  the  TowMiship. 
A  most  important  element  in  the  poj)nlatioii  of  Princeton 
has  been  derived  from  these  followers  of  George  Fox.  Tlie 
ancestors  Df  some  of  our  best  families,  among  them  the 
Clarks,  and  the  Oldens,  were  his  disciples. 

Wlien  I  first  took  chai-ge  of  this  churcli.  ther(^  was 
another  Methodist  house  of  worship  within  the  townshij). 
at  Cedar  Grove.  It  v»'as  sliortly  after,  in  the  year  1854 
or  '55,  purcliased  by  a  member  of  this  congregation,* 
and  has  been  devoted,  in  regular  rotation,  for  Sunday 
Services,  to  the  use  of  the  Methodist,  Baptist,  Reformed 
Dutch,  and  Presbyterian  Churches,  in  its  vicinity. 
The    building   is    kept    iii    repair,     and    the    cost   of  fuel, 

*Paul  Tulane.  Esq. 


lights,  :iii(l  sextt)irB  sorvice.s  luis  been  constantly  provided 
l,)y  the  generous  i)vvner;  and  every  clei-gyman  officiating 
regularly  has  been  paid  an  amount  more  than  suffi- 
cient to  defray  the  expense  of  reaching  the  })lace.  Tie  also 
keeps  the  library  of  the  Sabbath  ScIkhoI,  taught  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Oliurch,  liberally  snj)plied  with  books.  Of  the 
interestino'  cluster  of  more  than  twenty  French  families 
formerly  living  in  the  vicinity,  of  Cedar  Grove  lie  is,  I 
believe,  the  only  remaining  representative.  ^V  hoover 
writes  the  history  of  l^rinceton  must  not  fail  to  write  the 
history  of  this  (Colony,  which  will  be  found  to  abound  with 
stirring,  and  even  romantic  interest. 

College  of  Nnv  Jersey.  ■ 
The  College,  which  is  the  principal  feature  of  Princeton, 
has  had  its  marked  epochs,  and  has  undergone  an  almost 
entire  change  in  ihepersomid  of  its  Trusteeship,  and  Faculty. 
Of  its  Board  of  Trustees  only  three  remain  who  were  mem- 
bers of  it  in  1853,  Rev.  Dr.  Hodge,  Chancellor  Green,  and 
Ex  Gov.  Haines.  Of  its  Faculty  only  three,  Prof  S.  Alexan- 
der, who  lias  been  a  member  of  it  since  1834,  and  Prof 
Duffield,  wlio  was  adjunct  in  the  Department  of  Mathematics, 
and  Prof.  Cameron,  then  a  Tutor.  Dr.  Atwater's  and  Prof. 
Guyot's  accessusto  the  Faculty  of  Arts,  which  they  have  done 
so  much  to  adorn,  is  each  dated  in  1854;  and  Dr.  Schanck  was 
Lecturer,  in  the  College  as  early  as  1847.  Death  has  effected 
some  of  these  changes;  resignation  others.  Dr.  Carnahan, 
after  resigning  the  Presidentship,  lived,  a  Christian  sage  in 
the  midst  of  us,  a  beautiful  example  of  digniiied,  yet  hum- 
ble piety.  He  loved  the  Lord's  bouse,  and  with  all  his 
honors,  and  greatness,  never  seemed  to  outgrow,  or  to 
imagine  he  no  longer  needed,  the  ordinary  means  of  grace, 
which  are  prized  by  the  lunnblest  Christians.  Never  shall 
I  forget  the  emphasis  with  wdiich  he  said  to  me,  when  I 
visited  liim  in  his  chamber,  and  he  supposed  that  death  was 
not  far  off, — "  Deatii  can  do  a  great  many  important  things 
(as  if  the  words  of  Dr.  Edward  Young  were  in  his  mind, 


19 

"  blot  out  cm[)ires,  and  can  quencli  tlie  stai's  '')  can 
interrnjit  our  work,  sunder  tlio  tics  wliicli  have  bound  us  to 
liunian  lite,  and  brini;-  the  body  to  tlie  dissohilion  of  ihe 
i2;rave,  and  so  on:  but  tliei'c  is  one  tliin2;  deatli  cannot  (hi 
(evidently  alludinir  to  the  expression  of  the  Apostle,  in 
Rom.  viii.  88,  39)  it  cannot  separate  us  from  the  hn-e  of 
God  wliich  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.'*  The  entire  term 
of  liis  beloved  and  venerable  successor  in  ofHce,  Rev.  Dr. 
dolin  Maclean,  falls  w-ithin  the  period  under  review.  lie 
still  lingers  in  the  midst  of  us,  (and  may  he  long  be  sj»ared!) 
Ji  bright  link  connecting  us  with  the  lK)nored  past  in  the 
history  both  of  the  College  and  of  Princeton,  where 
he  was  born,  and  has  spent  his  entire  life.  Dr.  Matthe»A- 
Boyd  Hope  died  in  1859;  and  although  tlie  call  came  sud- 
denly, he  was  found  witli  his  lamp  trimmed  and  burning. 
lie  liad  been  a  faithful  servant  of  tlie  College  both  as  a 
teacher,  and  in  seeking  to  increase  its  endowment.  As  he  lay 
dying,  his  power  of  speech  nearly  gone,  some  one  heard 
him  attempting  to  repeat  tlie  verse, 

"  A  guilty,  weak  and  helpless  worm. 
On  tby  kind  arms  1  fall  ; 
Be  thou  luy  strength  and  righteou.snes.s, 
My  Jesus,  and  my  all  ;"' 

and  recited  it  for  him,  substituting  '-Saviour"  for  the  blessed 
name,  in  tlie  last  line.  -'Say  d  iistis,"  whispered  the  dying 
man.  And  Jcsi/.^  it  is  in  the  original,  as  found  in  our  col- 
lection, 92d  hymn.  The  sound  of  that  name  was  sweet  in 
the  dying  lieliever's  ear.  And  he  doubtless  prefei-red  it. 
being  a  master  in  Rhetoric,  ibr  an  a'sthetical  reason.  Geoi'ge 
Musgrave  Giger  followed  Dr.  Hope,  in  1805,  after  a  linger- 
ing illness,  liaving  in  addition  to  his  College  duties, faithfully 
discharged,  for  a  number  of  ^'ears,  those  of  acting  pastor  of 
the  Witherspoon  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  in  this  place, 
up  to  tlie  time  when  the  failure  of  his  health  led  him  to 
decline  the  office. 

TJie  five  years  of  Dr.  McCosli's  Presidentsliip,  coincident 
with  the  last  quarter  of  the  score  of  my  ministry  iiere,  liave 


20 


j)rove(l  to  be  a  iieu-  era  in  the  history  of  the  C'oUege  ;  aiui 
we  see  it  borne  forward  on  a  tide  of  prosperity  it  has 
scarcely,  if  evei",  before  enjoyed. 

Th  eoJogica  I  Se  m  in  a  >\>/ . 

Changes  ahnost  as  great  liave  taken  phice  in  the  Theo- 
logical Seniinary.  Only  three  or  four  remain  in  the  Board 
of  Trustees  who  were  members  of  it  in  1853.  James  Lenox, 
Esq.,  is  the  senior  member,  having  been  elected  over  forty 
years  ago;  but  Drs.  McDowell,  and  Phillips,  and  Murra}', 
and  Van  Rensselaer,  liave  been  succeeded  by  others.  And 
nearly  the  same  is  true  of  the  Board  of  Directors.  Of  the 
Faculty  Drs.  Hodge  and  Green  are  the  only  ones  who  were 
members  of  it  at  the  time  of  my  c(uning  to  Princeton.  Dr. 
Green  had  come  shortly  before.  The  venerable  Drs.  iVrclii- 
bald  Alexander  and  Samuel  Miller  deceased,  one  of  them 
two,  the  other  three  years  before.  Joseph  Addison  Alexan- 
der was  in  his  full  strength  and  vigor;  had  just  published 
his  great  works  on  Isaiah  and  the  Psalms,  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  enter  on  the  preparation  of  his  commentaries  on 
\[ark  and  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  Many  of  those  wonder- 
ful sei'mons  tliat  are  found  in  the  posthumous  volumes  of 
his  discourses,  were  preached,  from  time  to  time,  in  this 
[lulpit, 

EdgehiU. 

Edgehill  School,  so  long  one  of  the  well-known  institu- 
tions of  Princeton,  was  perhaps  in  as  prosperous  a  condition 
twenty  j-ears  ago,  as  at  an}-  period  of  its  history.  It  was 
then  under  the  care  of  the  Messrs.  Gattell,  Thomas  and 
William,  the  younger  of  wliom  was  already  exhibiting" 
those  talents  in  administration,  and  those  complacent  man- 
ners and  genial  qualities,  which  have  since  made  him  so 
successful  as  the  President  of  T^afayette  College. 

Public  Schools. 
But  one  of  the  most  signal  improvements  in  Princeton, 
during  these  years,  is  to  be  seen  in  its  public  schools.     And 


21 

I  confess  [  reli'i'  to  this  suhjcct  with  no  littlo  pioasiiro,  ;is 
I  think  I  can  Justly  chiim  to  havo  liad  sonio  share  in  eltect- 
iii<>;  the  desired  chanii-e.  When  I  eaino  here,  I  i)rovi(len- 
tially  found  my  residence  in  that  [>art  of  the  town  known 
as  (^uoenston,  in  the  lionse  now  belongini!;  to  and  occii[)ied 
I'V  Mr.  Spaflorl  Woodhull,  which  was  our  home  for  seven 
years.  I  was  soon  after  electeil  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the 
School  district  to  wliich  that  portion  of  the  Boronij^h 
beh)nii;cd  T  found  a  small  school  of  some  twelve  or  foui'- 
teen  scliolars,  taught  st)mewhat  irregularly,  in  the  large 
building  which  had  been  erected,  and  still  stands  there,  for 
religious  services.  In  looking  over  the  town  I  discovered 
that  tliere  were  two  other  schools,  one  of  them  at  its  remote 
extremity,  in  the  lower  part  of  Canal  street,  taught  by  a 
lady,  in  a  school  house,  which  had  been  erected  by  Mr. 
Richard  Stockton,  having  scarcely  more  scholars  than  the 
one  at  Queenston.  In  the  centre  of  the  town  was  the  larg- 
est school,  iiaving  not  far  from  fifty  scholars,  whicli  had  been 
taught  very  faithfully,  for  a  numlter  of  years,  by  Mr.  Al)ra- 
hani  VanDuyn,  now  the  Assistant  Post  ^Master.  The  three 
scli(M)ls,  in  their  very  largest  attendance,  never  numbered 
higher  than  seventy  or  eighty  scholars.  No  one  of  the  dis- 
tricts owned,  or,  so  far  as  I  am  informed,  had  ever  owned, 
a  school  house.  The  [trovisions  for  making  the  pul)lic 
scliools  answer  their  j)urpose  seemed  to  me  to  be  wholly 
inadequate.  I  ventured  to  suggest  to  the  Su])erintendent 
for  the  township— and  w^e  were  favored  at  that  time  witli 
one  who,  at  once,  saw  the  importance  of  the  movement. 
Rev.  Prof.  DuiReld — to  (;ombine  the  three  districts  into  one, 
with  the  view  of  ti-ying  to  have  a  school  which  should  be 
morew'orthy  of  J'riuccton.  The  Borough  was  made  to  com- 
prise a  single  dis.i-ict,  and  Trustees  were  elected,  of  whom 
L  had  the  honor  to  be  one.  At  an  early  meeting  T  suggested 
the  importance  of  securing  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature 
of  New  Jersey  establishing  the  Princeton  Borougli  School 
Disstrict,  and  af)pointing  a  Board  of  Education.     I  procured 


2  2 

the  copy  of  an  Act,  passed  by  tlie  State  of  New  York  for  a 
Rcliool  in  that  State,  similarly  situated,  and  put  it  into  the 
hands  of  the  late  lion.  Riehard  S.  Field,  at  that  time  Presi- 
dent of  the  State  Board  of  Education,  wlio  was  one  of  the 
Trustees,  and  who  heartily  concurred  in  the  movement.  lie 
made  such  moditications  in  it  as  were  necessary,  and  secured 
its  passage  by  the  Legislature.  The  members  of  the  first 
Board  of  Education,  as  named  in  the  Act,  were  Richard  S. 
Field,  James  M.  Macdonald,  John  T.  DufHeld,  Martin 
Voorhees  and  Oliver  II.  Bartine.  Mr.  Field  was  elected 
its  first  President,  and  your  pastor  its  Secretary.  The 
Board  and  the  District  were  laid  under  very  great  ol)liga- 
tion  to  Mr.  Field,  in  aiding  them,  without  embarrassment, 
to  purchase  the  site,  and  erect  on  it  the  building  necessary 
for  the  school.  In  the  mean  time,  the  school  was  organized 
on  the  2lst  day  of  Sept.,  1857,  in  tlie  old  Session  house 
belonging  to  this  church,  in  AVitherspoon  street,  under  Mr. 
H.  Farrand  as  Principal.  Mr.  Farrand  subsequently  estab- 
lished an  important  Classical  and  Commercial  School  in 
New  York,  and  received  the  patronage  of  some  of  its  first 
citizens.  The  school  was  opened  in  the  new  building  on 
the  18th  day  of  Jan.,  1858,  under  Mr.  Fan-and  as  Principal, 
assisted  by  five  ladies.  The  present  Principal,  AVilliam  J. 
Gibby,Esq.,has  been  at  the  head  of  the  School  since  July  8tli, 
1860,  and  all  the  assistants,  of  whom  there  are  eight,  whh  the 
exception  of  two,  are  graduate  pupils  of  tlie  school,  and  gradu- 
ates also  of  the  State  Normal  School.  Tlie  present  number  of 
scholars  on  the  catalogue  is  350:  the  average  attendance  270. 
The  irreat  importance  of  such  ti  scluxd  in  such  a  community 
as  this  cannot  easily  be  estimated.  About  200,  wIjo  are 
between  the  ages  of  5  and  18  years,  are  reported  as  attend- 
ing no  school,  but  most  of  these  are  nearly  18,  or  just  past 
5,  and  liave  either  left,  or  not  yet  comnicnced  attending 
school.  There  are  probably  not  more  than  fifty  who 
ought  to  be  in  school,  who  attend  none.  Other  districts 
in    the     neigliborhood,    Kingston,    Penn's    Neck,     Cedar 


23 

drove  have  l^eeii  stimulated    to    irni)rovo    their  schools,  by 
j)rovidiii<r  better  school  houses  and  better  trained  teachers. 

.l//.s*.s   TjOi-hird's  School. 

l\\  speaking  of  tlie  schools,  T  must  not  Forget  the  one 
supported  for  many  yeai's  by  the  iadie-;  of  this  church,  and 
tanglit  by  Miss  Mary  B.  Lockard.  iVlthough  composed  of 
very  small  children,  just  being  taught  to  read,  it  has  often 
numbered  as  high  as  seventy  or  eighty  pn[)ils,  requiring  an 
assistant  teacher.  Great  numbers  have  received  their  tirst 
lessons  in  this  school.  As  it  has  liad  from  tlie  beginning 
somewhat  of  a  parochial  character,  it  has  been  distinguished 
for  tlie  prominence  given  to  i-eligious  instruction,  especially 
from  tlie  IShorter  Catechism.  It  has  been  taught  in  the  old 
Session  House,  now  for  upwards  of  forty  years,  and  a])pears 
to  liave  grown  out  of  one  instituted,  soiiie  fifty  years  ago, 
by  Mrs.  Miller,  for  colored  children,  taught  by  herself  and 
family,  assisted  by  otiier  ladies.  Mrs.  M.,  and  Mrs.  John  C. 
Schenck,  (Ann  B.,)  were  among  the  largest  contributors, 
subscril)ing  $50  each,  towards  the  construction  of  tlie  school 
room.  Tlie  Female  Henevolent  Hocuety,  one  of  the  most 
useful  of  the  charitable  institutions  of  Princeton,  appears  to 
have  grown  out  of  these  eiforts  in  l)ehalf  of  the  children  of 
tlie  poor.  It  has  been  in  operation  uj^wards  of  forty  years, 
and  has  two  departments,  one  for  the  relief  of  the  })oor,  the 
other  to  educate  the  children  of  the  poor  in  the  school 
alreadv  I'cferred  to. 

W/fhrrs/iooii   Strct'f  School. 

The  Borough  District  maintains  a  school  for  colored 
children,  under  the  Board  of  Education  ;  andaschool  house, 
equal  in  all  its  appointments  to  the  one  for  white  children, 
has  just  been  completed,  and  the  school  placed  under  com- 
petent teachers,  and  the  superintendence  of  the  Principal 
of  the  Borouirh  School. 


24 

Tlic  Soi//Ih'r)i  Insurrcrtion, 
But  we  imist  now  turn  to  another  topic,  which  is  ern- 
l)i';K'e(l  within  tlic  period  of  these  recollections.  A  contro- 
versy which  had  been  threatening  the  peace  of  the  country 
for  years,  was  brought  to  a  fearful  issue,  by  the  firing  of  the 
first  gun  of  tlie  civil  war,  in  tiie  harboi-  of  S.  Carolina,  on 
the  morning  of  April  12tli,  1861.  Xever  can  be  forgotten 
the  thrill  that  ran  through  the  entire  North,  as  the  tidings 
were  flashed  along  the  wires  of  the  telegrapli.  It  was  as 
if  tliose  wires  had  been  the  nerves  f>f  some  giant  l)ody,  arous- 
ing and  inspiring  it  to  instantaneous  action  for  the  defent-e 
of  the  liberty  and  union  of  these  States.  In  this  community, 
there  Avas  but  (Uie  feeling,  that  the  govei-nment  must  l)e  sus- 
tained. In  a  letter  written  on  the  23d  of  April,  these  words 
occur:  "  These  are  exciting  and  trying  times, — the  times 
whicli  I  have  been  dreading.  We  must  repel  the  war  wdiich 
the  South  has  commenced,  and  support  the  Government 
which  she  is  evidently  seeking  to  destroy.  But  oh  !  the 
horrors  of  a  civil,  fratricidal  war.  I  still  pray  that  God 
would,  in  his  infinite  wisdom,  make  this — the  time  of  n\an's 
extremity — his  oppoi'tunity.  There  is  but  one  feeling 
Iiere,  and  that  is  that  the  Government  must  be  liberally  and 
vigorously  supported.  The  Southern  students  will  all  be 
gone  in  a  few  days.  The  stars  and  stripes  float  from  the 
top  of  the  cui)ola  of  Old  Nassau.  Our  young  men  are 
enlisting."  In  a  Sei'mon  preached  in  this  puljiit  on  the  6th 
Aug.,  1863,  a  day  of  National  Thanksgiving,  this  language 
was  used  :  "  Our  fathers  established  not  only  States,  but  a 
union  of  States,  or  Republics,  making  one  grand  whole. 
The  attenqit  is  to  disru[)t  these  States,  and  divide  this  great 
nation,  of  which  they  laid  the  foundation,  into  fragnients. 
It  is  nothing  less  than  an  attempt  at  revolution.  The  con- 
stitution of  the  United  States  was  formed  by  the  same 
authority  which  formed  the  State  constitutions;  to  wit,  by 
the  people,  in  each  of  the  States  acting  in  their  highest 
sovereign  capacity.     *     *     *    It  is  tor  victories  which  aflbrd 


2  5 

jiroTiiisc  of  sustaiiiiiii;-  and  jK'riH'dialiiiij:  (his  oui'  eonstitii 
tioiial  syslLMii  of  ( Jowriiiiioiit,  dovisod  l)v  statrsuieii,  who 
wc'vv  iiistriiinontal  in  achiovini:;  oiir  Xati(~)nal  Inch'pendencc, 
and  uniU'T  wliit'h  wo  are  phu-ct!,  hy  diviiio  I'l'ovidonco, 
among  the  nationr^  of  llie  oiirth,  \'oy  wlii(di  we  ;u'e  to  give 
thanks.  In  such  a  cause  prosecuted  l)j  means  and  agencies 
worthy  of  so  noble  an  end,  we  may  pray  for,  and  expect  (Jod 
to  hless  us  with  v'tlier  victories,  blessed  victories,  wliich 
shall  restore  to  this  distracted  land,  "  Uniox  and  Peace." 
In  another  part,  the  discourse  proceeds,  "  AVe  ought  to  be 
tliankfiil  ior  the  spirit  of  loyalty  and  devoted  }»atriotism, 
manifested  by  the  great  m;iss  of  the  people,  in  this  time  of 
the  nation's  trial.  It  may  well  bo  (U)ubted,  whether  the 
history  of  the  world  furnishes  a  [)arallel  to  the  union,  devo- 
tion and  sacrifice  of  tlie  |»ooj>lc,  of  conflicting  political  senti- 
ments, in  defending  this  nation,  in  a  war  which  makes  such 
demands.  Cheerfully  have  they  submitted  to  the  necessa- 
lily  heavj^  taxation.  Cheerf.dly  have  they  parted  with  their 
friends,  to  stand  before  the  cannon's  mouth.  They  liave 
been  hopeful  under  delay's,  and  many  defeats.  Xew  Jersey 
under  our  excellent  Gov.  Olden  raised  nearly  11,000  volun- 
teersin  lifteendays."  It  will  be  remembered  howthischurch, 
on  several  occasions,  such  as  days  appointed  b}-  tlie  Govern- 
ment for  fasting  and  prayer,  or  thanksgiving,  was  crowded 
to  its  utmost  capacity.  Few  will  forget  tlic  assembled 
throng  filling  the  pews,  and  the  standing  room,  both  above 
and  below,  called  together  hy  a  notice  from  the  Session  of 
this  church,  on  the  day  of  Mr.  Lincoln's  obsequies  at  Wash- 
ington, and  again  on  June  1st,  1865,  the  day  a})pointed  by 
liis  successor  to  be  observed  in  liumiliation  and  mourning, 
in  reference  to  the  same  sad  event.  The  discourse  delivered 
by  your  pastor,  on  tliat  occasion,  was  published,  by  rerpiest 
of  tlie  congregation. 

The  Soldiers  who  fell. 
Several   of  our  young  men,  and  of  the  most  jtromising 
amont;  them,  fell  victims  to  the  wai'.     Among  them  will  be 


recalled  at  once  Capt.  Charles  H.  Dod,  wlio  died  at  City 
Point,  Ya.,  Aug.  27tli,  1864,  aged  24  years.  "  Highly  gifted 
witli  mental  acconiplishnients  and  physical  atti'actions, 
aniiahle  in  disposition,  pure  in  morals,  an  example  to  his 
associates;  he  was  energetic  and  iaitljfnl  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duties  as  an  officer.  It  was  his  avowed  purpose  if  sparetl 
to  the  close  of  the  war,  to  devote  liimself  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry.  lie  war^  one  of  ihose  bright  and  beauteous  per- 
sons, around  whom  there  .'^eemed  to  be  a  lialo,  which  to  the 
eye  of  aftection,  appeared  a  sure  defense  against  the  sliafts 
of  death."'*  His  funeral  took  place  from  this  cliurch,  Aug. 
31st,  and  the  address  delivei-ed  on  that  occasion  was  pul)- 
lished  as  a  Memorial  of  him. 

Another  will  be  remembered  wlio  was  the  youngest  son, 
and,  I  think,  child  of  one  whose  name  now  stands  at  the 
liead  of  tlje  living  members  of  this  church,  that  is,  h;is  been 
longest  connected  with  it,  on  the  list  of  private  (communi- 
cants. John  Warner  was  a  child  of  uncommon  interest 
and  proniise;  he  gave  evidence  of  piety,  and  was  received 
to  tlie  communion  of  the  church,  at  a  very  early  age.  He 
died  in  the  Pliiladelphia  Hospital,  in  1864,  from  a  lingering 
disease,  contracted  in  the  army,  and  was  buried  in  the  ceme- 
tery of  this  church.  Henry  Stryker,  youngest  son  of  our 
late  esteemed'  member,  Ste[)hen  Strvker,  one  of  our  most 
amiable,  circumspect  and  promising  youth,  also  enlisted  in 
the  army.  He  died  at  one  of  the  Hospitals  in  Washington, 
to  which  he  had  been  bi-ought  from  active  service  in  the 
iield,  and  lies  buried  in  our  cemetery.  There  were  others 
who  survived  all  the  perils  of  the  battle  field  and  camp,  some 
entirely  unscatJied,  and  are  living  now  in  the  midst  of  us. 

Surgeon  McGilL 
There  was  one  wlio  was  exposed  to  these  perils,  from 
the  beginning  of  the  wai-,  who  survived  them,  only  to  fall 
shortly  after,  in  battling  with  a   more  fearful   enemy,  the 

*Froin  an  Obituary  by  Ur.  H(jdge. 


Asiatic  (Mii)liMM  1)11  till'  jilains  of  I'olorado  ;  I  rofc"  to  snf- 
<!;e()ii  (Jcoro'c  M.  Mc(JiIl,  oldest  son  of  Ilov.  Dr.  Mcdlill. 
Ool.  Mori'iam,  to  wliose  eoinnianil  he  was  attached  when  he 
foil,  bore  tlie  hii:^diost  testimony  in  his  favor.  "  I  have  never 
known  an  ofHeer  who  manifested  such  (Kn-otioii  to  duty, 
who  hibored  so  incessantly,  I'cgardk'ss  ol'  rest  or  personal 
comfort,  for  the  i>;ood  of  those  under  his  charge.  Undet' 
the  most  li-ying  circumstances,  he  maintained  a  clu'crful 
countenance.  With  no  less  zeal  his  most  estimahle  lady 
insisted  on  I'iding  at  the  rear  of  the  column,  in  (U'der  that 
his  domestic  duties  might  ii(;t  render  it  necessary  for  him 
to  l)e  absent  from  the  jiost  of  official  duty.  They  are  both 
gone  !  The  service  nevei*  lost  a  truer  or  moi'o  devoted  ser- 
vant." Ilis  fourth  promotion  by  brevet,  tliat  of  C'ol.,  was 
dated  July  20th,  1867,  the  day  of  liis  death.  A  tribute  in 
the  Army  and  Navy  liegister,  thus  speaks  of  him  :  "A  hard 
student,  an  accomplished  and  skillful  physician,  a  gallant 
officer,  and  a  brave  and  warm-hearted  gentleman — his  loss 
to  his  Cor[>s  and  the  Army  is  irreparable  ;  and  none  who 
have  served  with  him  will  fail  to  remember  him  with  pride, 
or  to  moui'ii  him  with  sincerity.  His  five  yeai"s  of  service 
were  spent  in  incessant  labor,  and  he  now  sleeps  on  the 
(Colorado  Plains,  off  duty  at  last,  with  an  unspotted  and 
glorious  record."  The  story  of  young  Surgeon  McGill  is 
full  of  sad  and  painful  interest.  He  had  served  all  through 
the  war,  being  much  of  the  time  with  Sheridan  on  liis  liard 
rides,  and  liotly  contested  battle-tields.  When  the  Cholera 
broke  out  among  the  soldiers  in  the  harbor  of  Xew  York, 
after  the  close  of  the  wai',  he  was  transferred  from  another 
post,  (the  General  Military  Hospital,  Baltimore),  to  this 
scene  of  danger  and  great  responsibility.  Under  liis  skill- 
ful treatment,  the  health  of  the  men  soon  improved,  and 
the  pestilence  at  length  disappeared  from  among  them. 
Soon  after,  lie  was  married  to  a  lady,  belonging  to  one  of 
the  liistoric  families  of  our  country,  Miss  Helen,  daugliter 
of  Robert  ]\.  Morris,  Esq.,  Morrisania,  New  York.   Althongli 


28 

lie  would  seoni  froiii  iiis  long,  arduous  and  exposed  service, 
to  have  earned  a  furlough,  or  some  position  of  coni])arative 
rej)ose,  very  soon  after  his  uui!"i"iago,  he  was  ordered  to  join 
Col.  Mcrriam's  coniiuand,  for  garrison-duty,  on  the  distant 
Western  frontier.  It  proved  to  hi  in  a  fatal  niai'el].  He 
had  almost  gained  the  mastery  of  the  Cholei-a,  which  had 
l^roken  out  among  the  troops,  as  ho  had  done  hefoi'e,  in  the 
harbor  (d'  New  York,  when  the  disease  siezed  upon  his 
young  bride,  whose  constitution  liad  been  somewhat  im- 
paired by  the  development  of  symptonis  of  pulmonary  dis- 
ease. The  Regiment  moved  on,  leaving  him  with  a  detach- 
ment to  watcli  over  her.  All,  that  medical  skill,  which  liad 
proved  successful  in  so  many  other  cases,  and  the  tendercst 
affection  and  care  could  suggest,  availed  nothing.  Per- 
forming for  her,  amidst  tliose  lonely  wastes,  as  best  he  could, 
the  last  sad  rites,  he  turned,  worn  out  with  watchings,  and 
broken  down  with  sorrow,  to  regain  tlie  Regiment.  He 
liad  gone  but  a  few  miles  wlien  he  f>und  that  the 
pestilence  had  laid  its  hand  on  him.  Ilis  supply  of 
medicine  was  exhausted.  lie  quickly  succumbed.  The 
faitldul  soldiers  took  ])is  body  up,  l^ore  it  l)ack,  opened 
the  grave  of  his  wife,  and  made  a  bed  for  him  l)y  Iier  side. 
The  remains  were  subsequently  removed  ;  atid  they  now 
lie  in  the  Princeton  cemetery,  awaiting  tlie  resurrection, 
beneatli  the  graceful  column  parental  love  has  erected  to 
mark  the  spot. 

3Iarr/arc/  E.  Brcck'inridgi\ 
From  this  I'oll  of  honor  must  not  l)e  omitted  the  name 
of  a  lady,  a  member  of  this  church,  wlio  in  the  hospital-ser- 
vice, exhibited  as  great  heroism  and  devotion  as  any  who 
performed  service  in  the  field.  Miss  Breckinridge  was  the 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Breckinridge  and  grand- 
daughter of  Rev.  Dr.  IMiller,  Professor  in  the  Seminary  in 
this  place.  Her  physical  organization  was  sliglit  and  deli- 
cate, but  more  than  ordinary  power  was  imparted  to  it,  by 
a  strong  mind,  a  resolute  will,  and  devoted  sense  of  duty. 


29 


Slio  oiitci-ed  tlio  lios})it;il-sLM-vii'e  on  the  Mississippi  in  (len. 
<  J  rant's  (lo[)ai'tiiuMit,  in  tlio  winter  oF  18G2.  She  soon  l)0(.'aiiie 
a  special  favoriti"  with  tlic  hopelessly  sick,  the  wounded  and 
dyinii;  soldiers.  Ministerin<>;  to  botli  their  [thysical  and 
s]»iritMal  ^vants,  when  all  hope  of  restorini;-  the  sntierini;- 
i)ody  had  perished,  she  strove  to  rekindle  those  better  ho|)es 
which  have  their  iVnition  beyond  the  grave.  From  her  long 
tarniliarity  with  the  truths  and  promises  of  the  l)il)le,  she 
could  repeat  and  ex[)lain  the  loving  invitations  and  words 
of  the  Divine  Master.  And  often  did  the  last  serene  and 
earnest  look  of  the  dying  soldiei-"s  eyes  e\[)ress  the  gratitude 
which  his  tongue  was  too  feeble  to  utter.  It  w;is  in  the 
lowlands  of  the  Mississippi  she  was  first  attacked  with  one 
of  those  obstinate  camp  diseases,  which  so  often  become 
chronic.  Leaving  the  l)e{)artnient  to  recruit  her  wasted 
strength,  slie  returned  to  her  friends  in  the  East,  but  soini 
entered  again  upon  ]!os[)ital-duty,  near  Phi!adel]thia.  Tt 
was  not  long,  howe\ei",  before  she  was  again  obliged  to 
leave  her  post,  and  she  died  of  that  fatal  Typhoid,  peculiar 
to  camps,  at  Niagara  Falls,  Jidy  27th,  1864.  Her  letters 
from  camps  and  hospitals  were  widely  read,  and  many 
tearful  eyes  have  testified  to  the  deep  syiupatliy  and  interest 
wliich  they  awakened.''' 

..1  i\ir  D'l/fis  and  Sla//s(ics. 

I  do  m)t  propose  to  weary  yon  with  the  detailed  >/^'//.s//('.s' 
of  this  ministry  of  twenty  ycai-s.  They  have  been  published, 
annually,  in  the  Minutes  of  tlie  Gen.  Assembly,  and  recorded 
in  the  Sessional  Records  of  the  Chnrch.  I  will  trouble  you 
witli  some  only  of  tlie  totals  of  the  figures,  and  some  gene- 
ral results. 

It  is  proper  for  nn^  to  state  that  but  a  few  years  before 
I  took  charge  of  this  church,  that  is  to  say  on  March  10th, 
1846,  not  far  Irom  a  huiulred  persons  were  dismissed  from 
its  membersliip,  to  form  the  Colored  Presbyterian  Church, 


■^See  Obituary.  Buffalo  Com.  Advertiser,  July  oO.  ]'SC>1. 


30 

ill  Witherspoon  Street,  and  witliin  two  or  tliree  years  after, 
Dec.  23(1,  1847,  the  Second  Churcli  was  constituted,  and 
otlier  members  were  dismissed  tor  the  purpose  of  corn- 
menciiiii"  tliat  enter[U'ise:  whicli  cliiii'cli  reported,  to  the  hist 
General  Assembly,  a  mendjersliip  of  160.  In  Jan.,  1849, 
the  roll  of  Church  members  was  revised,  and  the  names  of 
unknown  absentees  were  no  longer  enumerated  in  the 
repoi'ts  to  the  Pi'esb»ytery.  The  whole  numl)er  i-eported  in 
1854,  at  the  first  spring  meeting  of  the  Presbytei-y,  after  I 
became  jtastor,  was  344.  There  have  been  added  to  this 
Oliurch,  during  the  20  years  of  my  ministry,  G61  ])ersons; 
288  on  proi'ession  of  their  faith,  and  373  by  certificate;  the 
average  additions  being  slightly  over  33  annuall}' ;  the  ave- 
rage additions  on  profession,  aiinually,  being  nearly  liy. 
The  largest  number  received,  in  any  given  year,  was  in  '66, 
eighty  persons — 44  on  examination  and  36  on  certificate. 
In  1859  was  the  next  largest  number,  32  on  examination, 
29  on  certificate,  61  in  all.  If  the  a(hlitions  on  certificate 
are  somewhat  beyond  the  common  average  of  churches,  in 
consecpience  of  so  many  students,  in  their  theological  course, 
seeking  connection  with  us,  the  annual  diminution  is  in  like 
proportion,  on  the  cojiipletion  of  their  course,  and  their 
ordination  or  dismission  to  other  churches.  There  have 
been  removals,  constantly,  by  death,  as  well  as  on  certificate, 
to  other  cliurches.  And  in  April,  1870,  the  list  of  commu- 
nicants was  again  revised,  by  dropjung  tlie  names  of  those 
who,  wliile  students,  became  members,  and  liad  been 
or(hiined  to  the  sacred  ministry,  without  reporting  the  fiict 
to  us,  and  by  placing  the  names  of  unknown  absentees  in  a 
separate  list,  not  to  be  counted  or  i-eported  to  the  Presby- 
tery, to  the  number  in  all  of  about  150  jtersons.  And  yet 
notwithstanding  all  these  diminutions,  by  removals,  by 
death,  and  by  colonies  to  establish  two  other  churches  in" 
the  place,  the  Session  were  permitted  to  re]>ort  the  mem- 
bership in  the  First  Church,  to  the  last  General  Assembly, 
to  be  407.     The  figures  involved  in  this  statement  express 


not  only  a  i-cliaUlc  class  of  tacts,  hut  tacts  too  interesting;- to 
l»c  i-cijarded  in  the  iiji^lit  of  i)icr(>  aritlinietic. 

Jhijift  of  Fa-'^lithj^    Years  of  RerirdJ. 

By  invitation  of  the  session,  Sept.  18th,  1(S57  was 
observed,  l)y  tlio  church  and  congregation,  as  a  (hiy  of  Fast- 
ing and  Prayer,  with  refei-ence  to  events  in  connection  with 
our  missions  in  India.  The  invitation  was  (>xtended  to  the 
Theological  Seminai-y  and  College,  to  unite  with  us.  The 
day  was  observed  with  gre:it  solemnity  and  a  lively  interest, 
as  the  events  of  the  Mutiny  in  India  liad  deejily  moved 
the  heai'ts  of  tlie  |)eo[)le.  March  IGth,  186ti  was  observed 
in  concert  witli  other  churches,  in  the  Borough,  as  a  (hiy 
of  Fasting  and  Frayer.  The  churt'h  was  crowded  to  its 
utmost  capacity.  Ami  what  was  ijuite  rem'irkable,  the 
places  of  business,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  were  closed, 
ami  a  more  than  Sabbath  stiilu'ss  and  solemnity  seemi'd  to 
rest  upon  tiie  town.  There  had  been  a  revived  state  of 
i-eligion,  during  the  winter  and  fall  ;  and  this  was  tlje  year 
when  eighty  persons  wei'c  added  to  this  churcii.  Theyears 
"59  an<l  '^C)  were  marked,  perhaps,  more  as  years  of  revival 
than  any  others. 

Licentiates. 

Of  those  received,  on  ])rofession  of  their  faith,  lifteen 
have  been  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel.  vSome  four  or  five 
of  tlieso  came  here  to  be  connected  with  the  Theological 
Seminary.  Of  the  ten.  wdio  may  be  considered  as  more 
naturally  belonging  to  us,  most  liave  l)een  ])astors.  Their 
names  are  as  follows:  K.  S.  Fairchild,  S.  B.  Dod,  F.  B. 
llodge,  John  Lowrey,  Stirling  Gait,  Hugh  Smytlie,  .John 
Carrington,  1).  J.  Atwater,  A.  Macdonald,  S,  M.Hageman. 
One  of  them,  wlio  grew  up  near  the  Cedar  (itrove  Chui'ch, 
and  in  tlie  Sabbath  School  there,  the  Rev.  John  ('arrington, 
is  now  a  missionary,  under  our  foi-eign  Board,  in  Siam. 
Only  yesterday,  a  letter  was  received  from  him,  dated  Aug. 
27tli,  1873,  at   Ayuthia,  the  old  capital  of  Siam,  where  he 


32 

has  e'stahrKslied  a  new  niissiuu  station.  lie  says  in  tlie 
letter,  •'  I  often  think  of  Princeton,  and  tlio  friends  there. 
Dear  ohl  Priiu-eton  !  shall  I  ever  see  Iter  a_ii-ain  ?'' 

1  am  not  aide  to  state  the  nnmber  of  times  I  liave 
j)reached,  as  f  have  often  preached  on  otlier  (Lays  than  tlie 
Sabbath,  and  in  other  [daces  than  here.  But  I  have 
preached  1368  times  in  this  pulpit,  the  number  on  my  last 
written  sermon  being  1265,  the  most  of  which  have  been 
preached  here.  A  course  of  written  Lectures  on  tlie  I'en- 
tateuch,  and  of  unwritten  expositions  of  the  Psalms  of 
David,  in  the  light  of  tliose  incidents  and  epochs' in  his  life 
with  whicli  their  origin  has  been  supposed  to  stand  con- 
nected, have  been  delivered  in  the  Lecture  Room.  In  this 
pulpit  I  have  preached  series  of  written  discourses  on  tlie 
Book  of  Ecclesiastes,  on  the  Gospel  according  to  St.  John,' 
on  the  Epistle  to  the  Plnllipians,  on  the  three  Epistles  of 
St.  John,  and  on  the  Apocalypse.  The  Life  of  Christ  has 
been  made  tlie  subject  of  critical  study,  with  a  class,  for 
the  purpose  of  making  ont  a  Harmony  of  tlse  Gospels. 

Sabbath  Schools. 

These,  and  catechetical  instruction  of  the  young,  have 
been  constantly  maintained.  In  addition  to  the  school 
whicli  assembles  in  the  Lecture  Koom,  another  lias  been 
sustained,  at  Queenston,  within  the  limits  of  the  Borough. 
The  school  at  Stony  Brook  is  largely  made  up  of  children 
belonging  to  families  of  this  congregation,  and  taught  by 
those,  who,  to  a  considerable  extent,  are  drawn  from  the 
same  source.  The  same  is  true  of  the  Cedar  Grove  School, 
a  tlourishing  school  having  on  its  roll  some  sixty  or  seventy 
scholars,  and  some  ilfty,  in  regular  attendance.  Two  of  the 
teachers  have  no^v,  for  several  years,  i-esided  in  town,  ncai- 
the  church,  but  go  regularly  every  Sunday  afternoon  to  this 
pleasant  little  church  among  the  hills,  to  mecr,  their  classea. 
And  during  the  summer  months,  a  small  school  is  gathered 


33 

:it  Mount  Lnras,  witli  wliicii  two  or  tliree  iMiinlics  of  tliit* 
conp^regatioii  are  coiiiiectecl. 

Could  the  history  of  our  Sabbath  tScliools  be  wi-itteii,  it 
would  have  some  very  iuterestiug  features.  In  the  one  that 
lias  been  aeeustotnod  to  tueot  in  the  church,  or  the  Lecture 
Room,  Dr.  Ilodge  was  a  teac;her,  when  he  was  in  C()llei;-e, 
sixty  years  ago.  The  late  Rev.  Pi'of.  Albert  I)od  was,  for 
a  considerable  time,  at  a  later  [)eriod,  its  suj)erintcndent. 
When  I  came  to  Princeton,  it  was  under  the  efKcient  charge 
of  the  ]{ev.  Aspinwall  Ilodge,  now  of  Hartford,  Conn.  In 
its  more  recent  history,  it  has  been  successively  [(resided 
over  by  four^gentlemen,  who  became  foreign  missionaries, 
Mr.  Lloyd,  who  went  to  Eastern  Africa,  and  early  died  ;  but 
where  his  devoted  wife,  a  (huighter  of  Dr.  Parker,  a  cele- 
brated physician  of  New  York,  still  labors;  Mr.  Wynkooj*, 
our  accomplished  missionary  in  India,  Mr.  Mcllvaine  of 
China,  and  .\h\  Dale  of  Syria. 

Btneco'ent    Contributions. 

The  amount  raised  in  the  congregation  for  benevolent 
purposes  has  exceeded,  on  an  average,  $1500  annually;  if 
we  add  the  money  raised  for  Congregational  purjioses,  the 
amount,  on  an  average,  considerably  exceeds  $4,000  annii- 
ally.  Some  individual  donations  are  sent  directly  to  the 
Boards,  or  applied  privately,  and  can  not  therefore  be 
included  in  the  reports  that  are  made  up  annually  to  the 
Presbytery.  Nor  can  many  donations  and  gifts  for  the 
poor,  in  which  benevolent  work  Princeton  is  in  advance  of 
any  community  of  which  I  have  had  personal  knowledge, 
be  included.  And  liere  I  will  take  occasion  to  repeat,  what 
I  have  sometimes  felt  constrained  to  say,  in  private,  tliat  I 
know  no  place  where  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace 
alone,  without  works,  is  more  thoroughly  inwrought  into 
the  religious  convictions  of  the  people, — and  I  know  no 
place,  w])ere  works,  at  least  those  of  mer<^y,  and  care  for 
the  poor,  more  abound.  The  benevolent  cause  vvhicli  has 
railed  forth  the  largest  amount  is  that  of  Christian  Educa- 


34 

tioii,  neai'ly  $10,000  ;*  the  Jioxt  in  order  i8  Domestic  Mi.>!- 
sioiis,  about  $6,000  ;  tlie  next,  Foreii;!!  Missions,  over 
$5,000. 

Baptisms  and  Marriayes. 
The  first  person  received  to  tlie  communion  of  the 
ehurclj,  on  examination,  after  I  became  its  Pastor,  was  Miss 
Bessie  Stockton  Green,  now  the  wife  of  Rev.  DonaUl  Mc- 
Laren, IT,  S.  N.  The  rite  ot  Bai)tism  has  been  adminis- 
tered to  198  persons,  61  of  tliem  adults,  on  their  admission 
to  the  Lord's  table;  137  infants,  the  tirston  this  list  being- 
William,  son  of  Philip  and  Chrissy  Ann  Ilendrickson. 
Marriage  has  been  solemnized  100  times,  the  first  tvvoon 
this  list  being  in  October  before  the  installation  in  Novem- 
ber, Mr.  Eli  R.  Stonaker  to  Miss  Fannie  Staats,  and  Mr. 
Bogert  Stryker  to  Miss  Mary  Gruser.  An  interesting  fact 
may  be  stated  that  about  thirty  ladies  connected  with  this  con- 
gregation have  married  clergymen,  during  the  twenty  years  I 
have  been  its  pastor.  The  list  is  as  follows.  Maria  Louisa 
Vandeventer  to  J.  Henry  Kaufman,  Mary  Hunter  Stockton 
to  0.  Wistar  Ilodge,  Isabella  Matthews  to  Samuel  11.  Mc- 
Mullen,  Rebecca  R,  Olden  to  Henry  A.  Harlow,  Bessie  S. 
Green  to  Donald  McLaren,  Emily  Oumming  to  Augustus 
Brodhea<l,  Emma  Van  Duyn  to  liobert  J.  Hinsdale,  Mary 
Heiidei'son  to  Alexander  Telford,  Margaret  Hagenuin  to 
Ernest  C.  H.  Lubkert,  Elizabeth  R.  Baker  to  J.  T.  Duryea. 
Caroline  T.  iSTelson  to  Julius  Spencer,  Isabella  W.  Green  to 
S.  Bayard  Dod,  Elizabeth  Hudnut  to  William  H.  Jeftriep, 
Catherine  S.  Comfort  to  John  McKelway,  Mary  E.  Alexan- 
der to  F.  B.  Hodge,  Caroline  N.  Olden  to  George  li.  Smith, 
Christina  Butler  to  William  Harris,  Catherine  Skillman 
to  G.  H.  Nimmo,  Charlotte  M.  Alexander  to  George 
Robinson,  Mary  R.  Ilendrickson   to  James    A.   Worden, 

"This;  sum  includes  the  amount  raised  towards  the  endowment  of  a  Pro- 
fessorship in  the  Seminary  a  few  years  since,  and  that  given  by  a  benevolent 
gentleman  of  the  congregation,  for  the  education  of  the  daughters  of  Pres- 
byterian ministers  in  the  South. 


35 

Wiilu'ltiiina    L.    (Miollet   to  11.   C.   Camoi'on,    Corn    (Jrceii 

to  E.  P.    ^'oomans,  Mary  McCiill  to  Joseph  Gamble,  Mai'v 

C.  lluitisli  to  Edward  N.  Sayrc,  Juliet    Pliillips   to   John 

M.    Iv'u'lmioiid,    lii/.zio    I).    Sliehh^ii    to    Iloiiry    J.    Owen, 

EUa    Vail    Doren    to   J.  Q-   A.  EiiUertoii,  Lizzie   \V.  Van 

Duyn  to  Alfred  IT.  Falinestock,  Cassie  S.  Olden  to  John  E. 

Peters.     The  iirst  on    tlii^   list  at  which    I  officiated,  Miss 

Vandeventer  was  married  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kaufman,  May 

2od,  1855.     This  beloved  clergyman  fell  in  his  pulpit  only 

last  iSnnday,  just  as  he  had  tinislied  a  jM-ayer  remarkable  for 

its  eai'uestness  and   affection,    in    which    he  liad    specially 

remembered  the  widow  and  the  fatherless;  and  was  buried 

on  Thnrs(hiy.     He  has  been  cut  offin  the  midst  of  his  days 

and  usefulness;   but  if  one  were  to  choose  it  might  well  be 

to  fall  as  lie  did,  with   armor  on,  engaged  in  his  work.      T 

met  him  at  the  Synod  of  New  Jersey,  and  talked  pleasantly 

with    him,  less    than    one    week    before  he  died.     He  had 

a  sweet  voice,  and   his  soul  was  attuned   to  tlie  praises  of 

God.     He  had  charge  of  the  singing  in  this  church,  and  led 

in  thai  part  of  the  service,  at  the  time  of  my  installation  as 

pastor.     He  was   suddenly  transferred  from   the  sanctuary 

below  to  the  temple,  where  his  voice  is  heard, 

'•  III  loftiest  songs  of  sweetest  praisf, 
And  vies  with  (jabriel  while  he  sings." 

The  whole  tiutnber  who   have  married   clergymen,  of  the 
several  congTCicatiou,  since  I  have  resided  in  Princeton,  is44. 

3Jor(nari/  S/a/isfic-'<. 
P)eing  Jiot  unlre(Uiently  called  to  attend  funeials  in 
families  not  connected  with  the  congregation,  and 
beyond  the  bounds  of  this  congregation,  in  others  when 
destitute  of  Pastors,  of  which  I  have  failed  to  keep  any 
record,  I  am  not  able  to  state  the  whole  number.  Eiglity 
members  of  the  church  are  recorded,  and  have  been  report- 
ed as  deceased  ;  the  largest  number  in  any  one  year,  in 
1855,  11  ;  the  next  largest  in  1865,  9.  With  the  remarka- 
ble health  of  the  place,  I  have  been  greatly  struck.     In  one 


36 

whole  j-ear  (it  was  in  tlie  ecclesiastical  ^-oar,  beo-iiiiiini^  in 
April  '68  and  ending  in  '69,)  no  death  is  recorded,  but  of 
one  who  died  from  home,  and  was  brought  here  for  inter- 
ment. iSTo  epidemic  has  visited  tlie  place.  Scarlet-fever, 
diphtheria  aiul  dysentery  have  at  times  had  some  prevalence, 
but  never  ei)idemicall\';  and  Princeton  has  no  endemic 
disease  of  any  kind.  Even  that  destroyer,  consumi)tion,  in 
the  families  in  which  I  am  called  to  minister,  of  late  years 
has  scarcely  been  known.  During  the  lirst  years  of  my  min- 
istry it  smote  again  and  again,  two  of  our  families;*  but 
since  then  I  have  been  spared,  with  one  or  two  exceptions, 
tlie  pain  of  witnessing  the  slow  but  sure  progress  of  this 
disease.  And  the  infrequency  with  which  I  have  been 
called  to  minister  consolation  to  those  bereaved  of  little 
children  is  perhaps  still  more  remai-kable.  Several  entire 
years,  in  the  course  of  my  ministry,  have  passed  in  which  1 
have  not  been  called  to  stand  at  the  grave  of  a  single  infant 
child.  From  the  beginning  ot  1865,  for  seven  years,  tin* 
whole  number  of  funerals  at  which  [  was  called  to  officiate 
was  but  fift^'-seven.  Of  these,  18  only  were  children.  Of 
these  13,  but  seven  belonged  to  parents  [)ermanently  resid- 
ing here,  several  having  been  brought  here  for  interment, 
and  of  the  seven,  one  at  least  died  away  from  home. 

Departe<l   Ones. 

It  is  impossible  to  go  over  the  list  of  our  departed  ones, 
Avithout  bavins:  the  tenderest  emotions  stirred  within  us. 
Some  were  youth  of  great  promise,  for  several  of  whom 
written  memorials  were  prepared,  and  are  in  your  hands, 
viz.,  Charles  Hodge  Dod,  J.  Robbins  Schanck  and  John 
Craig  Schenck. 

One  was  a  young  wife,t  who  had  sought  other  climes 
for  health,  but  had  returned  from  the  fruitless  search,  to 
die.     It  was  in  one  of  these  pilgrimages  that  the  compan- 

*Mr.  Ralph  Gulick's  and  Mr.  David  Baker's. 

fMary  E.,  wife  of  Prof.  Green,  daughter  of  Stephen  Colwell.  Esq. 


?>7 

io!if<  of  hor  v(\va<2;o.  oiio  of  tlictii  a  l)r(Hli('r  snfibriiiir  from 
the  same  disease  witli  herself,  was  sti'ieken  down,  and  slie, 
in  her  weakness  and  sorrow,  was  left  alone.  It  was  throna^h 
snch  discipline  this  snft^eriiiij  cliild  of  God  was  made  meet 
for  the  kino^dom.  It  was  only  necessary  to  look  on  the 
sweet  smile  and  resi<j:;ned  ex[)ression,  which  seemed  to 
belons^  to  her  conntenance,  as  if  inwrouji'lit  there,  and  to 
listen  to  lier  few  words  of  jiatient  trust  in  (Jod  and  hope  in 
Christ,  to  teach  me  that  we  need  more  to  <"ome  into  the 
presence  of  snch  Christians  for  lessons  of  piety  tlian  tliey 
can  need  consolation  and  instruction  tVom  our  lips.  Her 
body  was  borne  to  its  rest  in  the  i2;rave,  April  1st,  18.')4. 

Another*  was  a  young  girl,  who  died  at  that  beautiful 
season  of  the  year  when  tlie  ilowers,  fragile  like  herself, 
were  about  to  i»ut  on  the  freshness  of  their  vernal  tints. 
The  disease  which  wasted  seemed  .dmost  to  have  etherial- 
ized  her  tieslj,  until  it  became,  as  it  were,  a  transparent 
tabernacle,  hardly  concealing  its  immortal  inhal)itant.  She, 
too,  this  young  creature,  could  say,  in  reply  to  our  anxious 
inquiries,  and  ai)))arently  without  a  pang,  without  a  tear, 
and  witliout  any  trace  of  visible  agitation,  "1  have  no  fear 
of  death.  1  believe  that  tlie  arms  of  the  Saviour  are  open 
to  receive  me." 

■  Anotlier  was  a  young  womanf  who  thought  amidst  all 
her  other  troubles,  that  Ood  had  forsaken  Inn-  at  last;  but 
who  was  comforted  when  I  asked  her,  if  she  did  not  feel 
willing  to  be  like  him,  wlio  cried  out  to  God,  when  he  was 
dying,  "Why  hast  thou  foi-saken  me?*'  Never  shall  I  for- 
get the  animation  witli  whicli  slie  exclaimed, 

Jesus  I  throw  my  arms  around, 

And  hiing  upon  iliy  breast  : 
Without  one  gracious  smile  tfoni  thee. 

My  spirit  can  not  rest.'" 

A  venerable  member;}:  of  this  church  deceased  in   1859. 

*Miss  V'irginia,  daughter  of  the  late  Rear  Aduiiral  C'raldx;. 
tMiss  .lane  Ann,  daughter  of  Elder  Ralph  Gulick. 
♦Jacob  Seudder.  M.D. 


38 

He  was  a  grandson  of  one  of  the  foandei's,  or  original  niem- 
bers,  of  this  chureli.  lie  studied  medicine  with  l)i\  John 
Beattie,  of  Princeton,  and  after  [)rartising  twelve  years  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  his  health  failed,  and  he  returned 
to  his  native  state,  and  lived  here  more  than  lifty-tive  years. 
In  early  life  he  had  been  skeptical  on  the  subject  of  religion  ; 
but  being  providentially  thrown  into  the  company  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Robert  Findley,  for  a  night,  the  conversation  of 
that  eminent  servant  of  Christ  led  him  to  a  re-examination 
of  the  Christian  evidences,  whicli  resulted  in  his  full  satis- 
faction, and  he  at  once  became  a  believer  in  Jesus  Christ  ; 
and  to  the  end  ot  his  life  maintained  a  steadtast  profession. 
His  end  was  peace.  With  tears,  he  said  his  only  hoj)e  of 
sah'ation  was  in  Chi'ist  Jesus; — that  all  that  could  be  said 
of  Inm  was,  that  he  was  •'  a  sinner  saved  by  grace." 

In  the  following  year  there  was  removed  from  membei-- 
ship  in  this  church  to  the  church  of  the  firstborn  in  heaven 
one*  who  perhaps  had  adorned  the  doctrine  of  God  our 
Saviour  as  brightly  as  any  professed  follower  of  the  Saviour, 
who  has  ever  lived  among  ns.  She  left  one  behind,  with 
wdiom  her  life  had  been  most  closely  intertwined,  who  still 
reiiects  amongst  us  the  same  bright  and  cheering  light. 

In  1861,  Mrs.  Sarah  Miller,  so  long  and  intimately 
identified  with  this  Church,  and  with  the  religious  interests 
of  Princeton,  de})arted  this  life.  She  was  a  Jad^'  distin- 
guished for  great  force  and  decision  of  character.  When 
slie  turned  herself  from  the  world,  she  nevei"  looked  l)ack. 
Her  standard  of  duty  and  consecration  was  high.  A  sti-ang- 
er  not  knowing  the  briglit  and  cheerful  hope  that  sustained 
lier,  might  have  thought  her  desponding  or  severe,  or  that 
she  was  dis[)0sed  to  look  on  the  dark  side  of  things.  At 
my  interviews  with  her,  during  her  last  illness,  the  burden 
of  her  conversation  was  her  mercies,  her  mercies.     She  spoke 

*Miss  Mary  Deare.  who  founded  the  "  Deare  Scholarship"   in  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary. 


39 

of  scarcely  aiiythiiii^  cl^io.  Xot  one  rioud  .seciiu'd  to  obscure 
her  liope  of  hca\'eii.  All  fear  of  death  apjx'ai'ed  to  bo 
wholly  removed.  She  liad  a  desire  to  (le[)art  and  be  with 
C^hrist,  which  she  felt  would  be  far  better  than  a  longer 
stay  liere.  Slie  sanic  gently  into  the  sleep  oi"  (kiath,  witli 
little  aj)parent  snflering — her  ]»rayei-s  being  answered  as  to 
the  ver}'  manner  in  wliicli  she  died. 

None  of  us  who  were  living  hoi-e  at  the  time  can  ever 
forget  the  thrill  of  terror  that  went  through  the  town  on  a 
morning  in  Nov.,  18G2,  on  the  discovery  in  the  cemetery 
whei-e  it  had  been  cast,  of  the  murdered  ])ody  of  James 
L\owand,  who  hatl  been  received  on  examination,  as  a 
member  of  this  eliurch,  thi-ee  years  l)efore.  lie  had  been  giv- 
en somewhat  to  free-thinking  ;  but  attributed  his  (-(inversion 
to  a  sermon  he  had  heard,  on  tiie  llOth  Psalm,  while  sitting  in 
yonder  gallery.  It  was  a  comfort  to  think  that  Ik;  may 
thus  have  been  prepared  i'or  his  sudden  and  awful  taking 
off.  A  great  mystery  has  always  seemed  t(^  me  to  hang 
about  his  assassin.  Surely  his  eri'and  to  this  ])lace,  and  the 
object  of  his  liovering  al)out  the  streets  for  several  weeks, 
especially  at  niglit,  was  not  the  slaying  and  robbing  of  poor 
James  Rowan d. 

In  the  year  ending  in  the  Spring  of  '6'),  the  stars  were 
affixed  to  names  of  sevei'al  meMd>ers,  whose  memory  is  still 
blessed.  In  one,*  to  tlie  noblest  liatural  traits  of  character — 
kindness,  generosity,  truthfidness — grace  had  added  humil- 
ity, love,  and  a  hope  of  lieaven,  which  made  her  dying 
chandler  one  from  wlncli  a  joyous  child  would  not  shrink. 
For  yeai's,  with  maternal  care,  she  watched  over  a  helpless 
sutferert  who  also  exhibited  in  a  high  degree  the  C'hristian 
graces.  Iler  disease  was  attended  with  a  gradual  loss  of 
muscular  action,  steadily  advancing  for  years,  until  it  is 
difficult  to  conceive  how  one  could  be    in    a    mort-  pitiably 


*Mrs.  Mary  Bniere. 
fMiss  Stevenson. 


40 

{lependent  state.  She  couM  not  convey  l)er  own  food  to 
lier  mouth,  or  masticate  it  when  there,  or  so  much  as 
wipe  away  her  tears.  For  years  it  was  iny  privilege  to 
visit  this  house  of  affliction,  ahiiost  weekly:  privilege,!  »i\\, 
for  with  the  highest  e.\hibiti(Mi  of  true  and  undeliled  reli- 
gion, hotli  in  the  helpless  i.nd  tlie  helpers,  I  never  found  it 
a  sad  or  cheerless  place. 

Another,  Mrs.  Isabella,  wife  of  James  S.  Green,  Esq., 
had  for  vears  been  one  of  the  inost  active  members  of  this 
congregation,  among  the  poor,  being  at  the  head  of  Socie- 
ties for  their  beneiit,  knowing  them  i>ersonally,  and  in  their 
homes,  and  often  entrusted  with  considerable  sums  of 
money,  to  be  expended  for  them,  by  otliers,  who  contided 
in  her  knowledge  of  them,  and  judgment,  and  kindness. 
Her  religion  was  not  a  mere  profession.  She  let  lier  light 
shine.  She  was  one  of  the  most  consistent  followers  of 
Christ.  A  third*  who  had  found  a  home  in  a  distant  part  of 
the  country,  found  heaven  just  as  near  there,  as  if  she  had 
died  under  the  roof  wliere  she  w^as  born.  The  group  of 
little  children  she  left,  have  one  after  another,  as  if  in 
answer  to  her  prayers,  been  professing  their  faitli  in  the 
Saviour  slie  loved,  and  in  the  communion  of  the  church  she 
loved.  In  the  following  fall,  another  fond  mother,t  leaving 
her  little  ones  to  the  divine  Shepherd's  care,  consecrating 
to  liim  lier  youngest,  in  holy  baptism,  went  in  the  confi- 
dence and  joy  of  faith  to  be  with  him  forever. 

Passing  on  to  '69,  a  period,  during  which  we  miss  from 
our  number  Stejdien  Stryker,  Mrs.  Henrietta  A.  Armstrong, 
Mrs.  Catherine  Allen,  Mr.  Albert  Terhune,  Mrs.  Eleanor 
Forman,  A.  M.  lludnut,  Esq.,  and  others,  we  come  to  names, 
added  to  this  galaxy,  which  shine  with  no  inferior  ray. 
There  was  one.i;  whose  natural  gifts  and  graces,  and  culti- 


*Mrs.  Mary  Olmsted  Murrill. 
fMrs.  Emma  A.  Laiigiotz. 
IMrs.  Dr.  Sheldou. 


41 

vated  !nind,  would  liavo  niurked  liei-  out  in  nuy  society. 
Her  [tiety  was  distiuguislied  l>_v  siinj»lo,  uudoubtiniLi^  trust, 
a  jiei't'eet  restiugou  Ikt  Savioui',  and  wasol'  course  marked 
l)v  groat  cliOLM't'uluoss  and  liopctulncss.  She  possessed  great 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  and  could  accurately  repeat 
the  /yA^/sN////'/  rcrha  ofiai-gc  portions.  Ilcr  well-stored  mind 
fitted  her  especially  to  imjiart  instiniction,  in  which  woi-k 
she  was  eminently  l)lessed, — an  entire  class  having  h(>CM 
made  the  subjects  of  renewing  gi-aee.  She  had  methods  of 
her  own,  which  were  eminently  a(hi|)ted  to  interest  and  call 
forth  the  faculties  of  young  minds.  The  same  summer, 
another*  no  less  distinguished  for  lier  intelligent  I'lety,  and 
strong  attachment  to  the  pure  doctrines  of  the  gos{.)el,  was 
present  on  a  Sabbath  morning,  when  the  lines  since 
become  so  familiar,  but  then  heard  here  foi-  tlie  iirst  time. 
''Tell  me  the  old,  old  story,"  were  repeated  at  tlie 
close  of  a  sermon.  The  beautiful  and  touching  sinijdicity 
with  which  the  story  is  told  in  tliese  lines,  awakened, 
and  called  forth  from  her  expressions  of  the  deepest 
interest.  Ere  another  Sabbath  had  passed,  after  a  brief, 
sharp  illness,  she  found  the  door  of  heaven  opened  for 
her  to  enter  in.  Another,!  <^*"  •'  bright  Sabbath  after- 
noon, in  her  sick  room,  it  was  one  of  the  last  acts  of 
her  faitli,  dedicated  her  infant  to  God  in  P)aptism,  whilst 
her  countenance  fairly  beamed  with  Christian  hope  and  joy. 
Still  another,!  who  had  in  earlier  life  filled  the  office  of 
teacher,  in  a  neighboring  city,  was  most  useful  liere,  leading 
as  blameless  a  life  as  we  are  ever  privileged  to  see. 

Miss  Elizabeth  Smith  departed  this  life,  June  22d,  1870. 
For  3'cars  she  was  almost  a  liel}>less  invalid,  and  nevei-  cross- 
ed her  threshold.  I  never  saw  her  in  this  house.  She 
lost  her  health,  in  comparatively  early  life,  from  exposure 
to   a  sudden   shower,  while  engaged  in  collecting  I'unds  for 

*Mrs.  Hannali  Butler. 

fMrs.  Bessie  Kane,  wife  of  Hev.  Dr.  Shields. 

.■J:Mis.s  Maria  Guild. 


42 

tlie  erection  in  tlie  iieiii'liborliood,  where  slie  tlien  lived, 
Peiin's  Neck,  of  ;i  l)nikliiiii'  for  Sabbath  Scliools  and 
religious  meetings.  She  possessed  a  line  mind,  which  was 
highly  cultivated.  After  the  death  of  Dr.  Woodhull,*  to 
whom  she  was  stronii;!}'  attached,  s])e  wrote  an  apprecia- 
tive and  beautiful  sketch  of  his  character,  as  creditable  to 
herself,  as  a  grateful  [ditienr,  as  to  the  physician  whom  she 
desired  to  lionor.  On  the  day  of  lier  dcatli,  only  an  hour 
or  two  before  slie  breathed  lier  last,  she  composed  and 
addressed  these  lines  to  a  young  friend,  who  was  just  about 
to  set  sail  for  Europe,  for  travel  and  study. 

C Dkaii: 

A  parting  word.      If  power  were  mine, 
What  most  I  value  should  be  thine — 

The  brightest  gem  in  diadem. 

To  deck  thy  brow  : 
The  fairest  flower,  in  g.-irden  bovver. 

Id  gather  now. 
'{'he  Pear!  of  price,  tliat  gem  should  be, 
The  thornless  Rose,  my  gift  to  thee. 

"■■.lohti  Neilson  U'oodhull,  M.D.,  was  the  son  of  the  Kev.  George  SpafTord 
WoodhuU,  a  former  pastor  of  this  church,  and  grandson  of  Rev.  Dr.  Wood- 
hull,  so  long  pastor  of  the  old  Tennent  Church.  His  mother  was  Gertrude 
Neilson,  daughter  of  Col.  John  Neilson,  an  officer  of  distinction,  in  the  war 
of  the  Revolution.  She  departed  this  life  Feb.  20th,  I860,  and  was  a  most 
lovely  Christian  woman,  gentle,  charitable  and  retiring,  and  seems  to  have 
possessed  the  same  lofty  moral  traits,  ascribed  to  her  husband,  in  the  sketch 
of  his  character  by  Dr  Miller.  John  N.  Wocdhull  was  born  in  Cranberry. 
July  2-5th,  1807,  and  graduated  at  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  1825,  and  in 
Medicine  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1882.  He  commenced  prac- 
tice at  Middletown  Point,  but  in  18.3")  removed  to  Princeton.  For  his  kind- 
ne.ss  to  the  poor  he  was  i)roverbial,  often  riding  in  stormy  nights  miles  to 
visit  them,  and  just  as  promptly  as  if  they  were  rich,  able  to  remunerate  him. 
For  more  than  thirty  years,  he  discharged  the  duties  of  that  merciful,  self- 
denyingprofession,  which  brings  those  who  practise  it  into  the  inmost  recesses 
of  households,  and  makes  them  familiar  with  the  most  secret  griefs  and 
nacred  joys  of  individuals  and  families.  Prior  to  1843,  his  practice  extended 
many  miles,  in  all  directions  from  Princeton  ;  and  it  recpiired  four  or  five 
horses.  Subsequently  to  that  date  his  practice  was  mainly  confined  to  the 
office,  his  patients  coming  to  him  from  distant  towns  and  counties,  and  from 
other  States.  In  his  last  will  and  testament,  he  devised  a  considerable 
amount  of  property  to  his  Alma  Mater. 


43 

Next  wo  wore  railed  t(i  follow  to  the  i^ravo  an  aged  and 
respected  inOTulKT*  of  this  churcli,  and  then  a  young  nianf 
who  had  shortly  before  professed  liis  faith  in  Jesus;  and 
the  same  year,  so  closely  does  sorrow  soinetinios  follow  on 
tlie  heels  of  joy'  the  hride|  of  a  single  year.  For  more  tiian 
seven  months  was  she  contined  to  her  sick  room,  and  for 
a  considerable  part  of  this  tinie,  her  sufferings  were  very 
intense.  Never  have  I  administered  tlie  rite  of  baptism, 
under  similar  circumstances,  when  I  felt  more  clearly  satis- 
lied  in  my  own  mind,  of  the  fitness  of  the  subject  to  receive 
it.  The  ordinance  seemed  to  be  a  source  of  refreshment 
and  sti'ength  to  lier,  as  lier  feet  were  touching  the  cohl  water 
of  Jordan. 

Our  recent  experience  is  like  tliat  at  the  beginning;  we 
are  constantly  missing  loved  ones  from  our  side.  We  shall 
not  soon  forgot  the  tearful  obsequies  of  the  dear  child||  that 
faded  away  just  as  the  fiowors  of  tiic  last  Spring,  that 
bloomed  around  us,  were  putting  forth  ;  andof  another^  in  the 
same  month,  cut  off  in  the  full  vigor  of  life  ;  to  bo  followed 
in  midsummer  l)y  those  of  an  aged  mother^  in  Israel,  excelled 
by  few  in  her  clear  discriminating  knowledge,  and  a  cordial 
reception  of  the  doctrines  of  the  (losj)el,  and  the  ripe  fruits 
of  established  ])iety.  I>ut  we  have  I'oached  a  point  too  near 
the  present  for  it  to  be  necessary  to  remind  you  of  the 
losses  we  have  exj)erienced.  I  would  like  to  speak  of  some 
whose  liglif  shone  very  brightly,  but  it  has  been  too  recently 
extinguished  for  us  to  be  unconscious  of  the  loss,  or  with- 
out the  ])eril  of  causing  w^ouuds  that  are  beginning  to  be 
assuaged  to  bleed  afresh.  This  remark  must  however  be 
allowed,  that  the  closing  list  of  our  dejiai-ted   ones -the  list 

*Mr3.  Elizabeth  Stockton. 
tWilliam  Allen. 
|Mrs.  Katie  Thomas. 
||Constance  Cameron. 
|Mis.s  Abhy  Gulick. 
yMrs.  Mary  Ann  Schenck. 


44 

extending  from  April, '72  to  April, '73 — strikingly  illustrates^ 
the  peculiar  composition  and  character  of  this  churcli  as 
made  up  of  persons  of  all  degrees  of  intelligence,  (it 
includes  tlje  name  of  one  who  could  not  read,)  and  in  all 
the  varied  walks  of  life,  journeying  side  by  side,  in  tliis  pil- 
grimage, towards  the  heavenl\'  Zion  ;  or  sitting  in  loving 
fellowship,  at  the  table  spread  for  them,  in  this  wilderness. 
Tlie  list  is  as  follows  :  Martlia  M.,  widow  of  Em  ley  Olden  ; 
Margaret,  wife  of  John  Andrews  :  Rear  Admiral  Thomas 
Crabbe ;  Widow  Mary  Sehenck,  aged  92  years;  Elisha 
Lawrence;  William  W^-ckoft";  Jane,  widow  of  Rear-Admi- 
ral  Crabbe  ;  Eleanor  McCullongh,  wife  of  Rev.  Dr.  McGill. 

"  0  blessed  are  tbe  dead  in  Christ  I 

Why  will  ye  mourn  for  them  V 

No  more  the  stormy  billows  here, 

With  weary  feet  they  stem. 

Seem  they  to  sleep  ;  'tis  but  as  sleeps 

The  seed  within  the  earth, 

To  burst  forth  to  the  brilliant  morn 

Of  a  more  glorious  birth.'' 


DATE  DUE 

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nncelon    Theological   Semmary-Speer 


1    1012  01122  3213 


